For Teachers Going Abroad

Apostille for Teaching English Abroad

Teaching abroad on an E-2, EPIK, or China Z visa means your FBI background check has to be apostilled, fast, before your start date. We walk it into the U.S. Department of State and return it in 7 to 10 business days, and we can handle your university degree apostille too.

The Real Problem

Your start date will not wait for a 5 to 12 week apostille

Here is the squeeze every teacher hits. Your contract start date is fixed. The FBI background check is typically only accepted for about 6 months. And the standard mail-in apostille runs 5 to 12 weeks. Try to line up a fresh FBI check, an apostille, and a visa filing on that timeline and the math does not work. People lose placements over it.

We solve it the only way you can: we hand-carry your FBI background check into the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and return it apostilled in 7 to 10 business days. Return shipping is included, and you get a scan of the finished apostille as soon as it is in our hands.

A fresh FBI check, apostilled and back to you in about two weeks, keeps you inside the recency window and ahead of your start date.

Your FBI Check and Your Degree Are Both Apostilled, Separately

Almost every teaching job abroad asks for two apostilled documents. They go through two different authorities. Knowing that up front is what keeps you from getting rejected.

FBI Background Check

A federal document, apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. This is our flat, productized service: $120 for the first document, $95 each additional, 7 to 10 business days, return shipping included. Start it online.

University Degree

Your diploma is a state document, apostilled by the Secretary of State in the state that issued it, not the Department of State. We can also handle your degree apostille. Contact us for a quote and we will tell you exactly what your state needs.

Why It Matters

Two documents, two authorities. A common rejection is a state apostille placed on the FBI check, or sending the FBI check to a state office. We keep the federal document on the federal track so it is accepted the first time.

Apostille My FBI Check Get a Degree Apostille Quote

Apostilles by Teaching Destination

Most teaching and work visas abroad require an apostilled FBI background check. Here are the routes we see most often.

Already Overseas and Need the FBI Check?

Common for teachers renewing contracts or switching schools. You do not have to fly home.

1

Fingerprint Card Locally

Get your fingerprints on a standard FD-258 card at a local police station, a private service, or in some cases a U.S. consulate.

2

Mail It In. $95

Mail the card to us and order our mail-in FBI background check for $95. We submit it to the FBI right away.

3

Access and Apostille

We email you instructions to access your result, then you upload it to our apostille order form to start the apostille.

The Traps That Get Teaching Apostilles Rejected

We see the same mistakes cost teachers weeks. Here is what to watch for.

Federal Check Only

Only the federal FBI Identity History Summary is accepted. A state, county, or city background check gets rejected. Make sure your report is the FBI one.

Right Authority Per Document

The FBI check is apostilled by the Department of State. Your degree is apostilled by the state Secretary of State. A state apostille on the FBI check is an automatic rejection.

Do Not Remove Staples

Do not pull the staples out of the FBI report or the apostille. Removing them can break the document's integrity and get it rejected.

Watch the Recency Window

The FBI check is commonly required issued within 6 months. Verify the exact window with your consulate, then use our fast turnaround to stay inside it.

Apostille Both Documents

Many teachers apostille the FBI check and forget the degree, or the other way around. Most teaching jobs need both. Confirm your checklist before you ship anything.

Confirm Your Consulate

Rules vary by country and consulate. Your employer, recruiter, or EPIK coordinator has your exact document checklist. Match it before you order so nothing comes back.

Placing Teachers? Do Not Let the Apostille Blow the Start Date

ESL recruiter, EPIK coordinator, or school placing teachers? You are selling a start date you cannot miss, and a slow apostille is the thing that quietly wrecks it. Send your teachers to us and we handle the apostille fast, so your placements land on time.

Common Questions From Teachers

Most teaching consulates want the FBI Identity History Summary issued within about 6 months and apostilled. Because the standard mail-in apostille takes 5 to 12 weeks, the window closes fast. We apostille it in 7 to 10 business days so a fresh check stays inside the recency rule. Always confirm the exact window with your employer or consulate.

Usually yes. Most teaching jobs abroad require your university diploma apostilled in addition to your FBI background check. They are two separate documents. We can handle your degree apostille as well. Contact us for a quote.

The FBI background check is a federal document apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. Your university degree is a state document apostilled by the Secretary of State in the state that issued it. Two documents, two different authorities. A state apostille placed on the FBI check is an automatic rejection.

Yes, we can handle the degree apostille, but it is a state apostille routed through the issuing state's Secretary of State, not a flat online product like the FBI apostille. Contact us for a quote and we will tell you exactly what your state needs.

We return your apostilled FBI background check in 7 to 10 business days because we walk documents into the Department of State in person. The standard mail-in route is 5 to 12 weeks, which often misses an EPIK Final Documents deadline or a fixed contract start date.

Get Your Teaching Apostille Started

7 to 10 business days on your FBI check. Need your degree handled too? Ask us for a quote. Already abroad? Get your FBI check by mail and apostille it without flying home.

Do not forget your vital records

Your move abroad usually needs more than your FBI check

Birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates are among the most commonly apostilled documents for visas and citizenship. We apostille vital records from all 50 states, with the same expedited handling and return shipping included.

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