PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Leaving HK - criminal record check
View Single Post
Old 13th Feb 2019, 01:26
  #11 (permalink)  
RobKilo
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: HK
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've had to do it twice, once for an employer's background checks, and once for a residency visa in another country.

raven11 has described the process I also went through for the visa. Note that the HK Police do not issue the letter to you, the subject of the check - they will only issue letters to the requesting authority. They have discretion as to what constitutes a valid request - my guess is it needs to be governmental-level authority such as a consulate (so I'm not sure if a request from a council or other local authority from abroad will fly). I don't know if companies specialising in background checks will be entertained, but I certainly suspect employers will not

Which leads me to the second method, which I did for my employment check. Every HK resident has the right to show up at the cop shop on Arsenal Street to make a verbal enquiry as to whether they have any criminal record, charges pending, etc. An officer will search for your record, and if they don't find one, inform you of that fact. What they won't do is give you a bit of paper confirming that (so helpful). However, you can bring along a witness - in my case it was an employee of a company specialising in background checks, engaged to do so by my prospective employer - who will then report back. If your mum's potential employer can get their heads around this method and appoint an actuary or other agent to witness a check for criminal records, this is far, far quicker and more easily achieved. Zero paperwork required, no appointment or anything. Downside, of course, is you have to be in HK in person to do it.

Hope that helps.
RobKilo is offline