FBI background check while outside of the US

Contact the US embassy- they will advise you which  fingerprints are acceptable and from what institution.

They have to be actual fingerprints, not electronic.( only in the US you can get electronic ones).  Once you get the result( by mail???)  they have to be  sent  to FBI for apostille. You can try to use services online that assist with Apostilles. This is a long process and and you risk your visa to expire by the time you get them. 2-4 months wait.Then the apostille needs to translated in Bulgaria and notarized.

So be prepared to apply for visa extension because you will not make it on the current visa. Good luck!

( You were supposed to have this already when applying for visa- what happened? Did  your FBI check expire already?)

@TonyFF thanks for the response. My D visa will expire in three weeks.

When I applied for my D visa last year the Bulgarian embassy in Washington DC told me the FBI check would be valid for one year. I figured if that was the case I could help extend my stay here by staying out my D visa and then starting a new year with my long-term residency. I applied for Bulgarian residency yesterday with my current FBI background check which is now 7 months old. The person at the migration office told me she thinks it's only valid for six months but she was uncertain. She submitted my paperwork with the current FBI background check and said I would receive an email from the committee if I needed to update the background check. They say this email can take up to two weeks and as I mentioned earlier my current visa expires in three weeks. So if I do need to make any updates I will likely have to ask for an extension. For now I would just like to know if it is even possible to receive an FBI background check while outside of the US. I have been researching a service called globeia. They claim they can help with the process but I am not familiar with their business.

The FBI background check is good only for 6 months. This is the Bulgarian law per my Bulgarian lawyer.

They stressed this to me the same fact  in the Bulgarian consulate when I was applying for visa D.

You have no choice but to ask for extension now.

I am DONE with apostilles, FBI checks etc. I do not want to hear about them again!!!! Done!

Do go back to police in 2 weeks to check on the result of your application( my lawyer told me she does not trust them with e-mail). In Bulgaria you do things live; you do not wait for e-mails, mails, etc.

Good luck to you.

@TonyFF I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to being done with this as well.

I was misinformed at the Bulgarian embassy in the US. I need to focus on resolving my current situation.

I emailed the US embassy here to make an appointment about all of this.

In the meantime would you recommend your lawyer for assistance with the following:

Is it possible to get an FBI background check done while I am outside of the US?

Can you assist me in getting an FBI background check with apostille, if necessary?

I would also need to know what places in Bulgaria are approved for me to get fingerprinted.

Thank you for your help

This is on US embassy web page:

"I'm applying for a criminal background check. Can I have my fingerprints taken at the U.S. Embassy?

U.S. Embassies cannot provide criminal background checks since we are not a law enforcement agency and do not have access to law enforcement information.  The agency that houses a central database of criminal information is the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  You will need to work directly with the FBI to obtain the necessary document.

Additionally, we do not take fingerprints, since this is a law enforcement activity.  However, you may be fingerprinted at a local police station.

We have detailed information on our web site about how to contact the appropriate offices and how to obtain fingerprints."

You can go to Bulgaria police to be fingerprinted or at Research Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology, RIFSC(Национален институт по криминалистика към МВР) then follow the FBI link.

I asked my notary/apostille guy in the US how to proceed and here is his answer:

"Yes, here is how to get the background check:

If you are not in the US, the following is the best way to get your prints done, and then get the apostille for your background check.

You can't use one of the FBI Channelers outside of the country, so the best option is to print the FBI's fingerprint card, have your prints taken (rolled) at local police station, and then send them directly the FBI in West Virginia. Make sure to request the PDF version of the background check as the hard copies (only a printout of the PDF) rarely arrive internationally when shipped from the FBI."