Name and background check - how much time?

[bubbafred10]

Let's see if we can determine the extent of procedures that GUZ uses for name and background check. And whether there is a queu line for issuing interview dates, irregardless of how quickly the checks and investigations are done. I assume the lengthy time to do those checks is commensurate to the number of people with same name, and the trails to follow. For uncommon names, the time should be shorter because there is not much to chase after.

 

How many people with the same name can be searched using www.google.com and www.baidu.com

 

Google the pinyin name and see how many links to that name.

 

Likewise, baidu the name in Chinese characters.

 

My SO's name is not common. Google results in 3 links of two people (both men), none of which is my SO's. Baidu results in 5 links of three people - two are the same ones as in google results, and 2 links are my SO's. Hmmm, Chinese names are unisex - can be used by a male or a female - because they are related to nature. My SO's name is translated "rich spring", as in water well, and could mean spring of knowledge or spring of life, depending on the order of the two characters.

 

When I did a baidu search on my SO's brothers' and sister's names, the results vary from 12 to 30 links of same names.

 

Based on this very few to trail and check, I assume the background and name check of my SO will be very quick, and the P4 and interview will be very soon, say in 2 months.

 

If it takes more than two months, then the QUEU force is much greater than the actual time required to do the name and background investigations.

[warpedbored]

Interesting how you can do that so fast and it takes them so long

[Dan R]

It was my understanding that the background check includes turning the name into FBI, CIA and Interpol for criminal investigation. If this is true it is the same check that many locales in the U.S. require of massage therapists to be licensed. That check takes two months to clear.

[Zingaro]

The name check, I'm afraid, can be a bit more mysterious and prone to error than simply Googling a name. I wish it were that simple!

 

DOS has told me that the second name check (requested by GZ around the same time that the P3 is mailed out) takes a MINIMUM of two months. If you take a look at the average timelines here, the P3-P4 stage, which largely consists of the second name check, runs around 3-4 months.

 

In a few cases - mine and my SO's included - the name check can fall into an inexplicable limbo somewhere inside various US security agencies such as FBI. Fortunately, this doesn't happen all that often.

 

The background checks on a Chinese national SHOULDN'T take all that long. After all, none of the US agencies request any information from any Chinese government office. All the name checks are done internally within US agencies. But federal bureaucracies, especially those which can be rather opaque, don't seem to function by what seems logical or normal.

 

Then again, beginning in 2002, "special" security checks were instituted for both Chinese and Russian nationals applying for varioius visas. The events of 9/11 were cited as the reason for that, even though neither of those nations had anything to do with 9/11.

[Zingaro]

Interesting how you can do that so fast and it takes them so long

We're much more efficient - and motivated - than most people doing paperwork at the FBI, CIA, etc. I Googled my SO's name in both Pinyin and Hanzi. The process took a few seconds for each search.

[bubbafred10]

The google and baidu are not intended to be used as the only name and background checks. They are helpful to know how many people with the same name. The more people with same name, the more work they have to do.

 

One method of background check is to make inquiries at previous residence and employers and associates. I told this to my laopo. From reading 001 website, my SO told me that perhaps they call former employers and associates, but not knocking on the doors to talk to former neighbors and associates. Maybe those ladies in 001 website don't get feedbacks from their long lost friends, neighbors, and associates.

 

From the responses here, the consensus is to expect a waiting time of 4 to 6 months because each case still has to wait its turn when submitted to the investigation dept.

[yuehan123]

On the other hand, I Googled my own name and came up blank. Internet results are interesting but not necessarily reliable.

[Carl]

I am not sure what the government uses, but Ying said there is some link on 001 that she looked into. In a few minutes she had every place in the US I had ever lived........it sort of scared me

[tonado]

On the other hand, I Googled my own name and came up blank.  Internet results are interesting but not necessarily reliable.

Try google your phone number.

[warpedbored]

On the other hand, I Googled my own name and came up blank.  Internet results are interesting but not necessarily reliable.

Try google your phone number.

Scary. My name and address came right up. Oddly enough my cell phone didn't bring up anything. Perhaps I should dump the land line and go back to cable internet

[pkfops]

Got to stick out.

 

Ours was complete after two FBI agents

knocked on my door one Saturday morning.

 

Your an idiot if you think google will give you everything out there.

[bubbafred10]

I am not sure what the government uses, but Ying said there is some link on 001 that she looked into.  In a few minutes she had every place in the US I had ever lived........it sort of scared me

 

Carl,

 

Can you get that link? I want to check it out. Thanks.

 

Fred

[pkfops]

I am not sure what the government uses, but Ying said there is some link on 001 that she looked into.  In a few minutes she had every place in the US I had ever lived........it sort of scared me

 

 

Can you get that link? I want to check it out. Thanks.

It's called Interpol.

[david_dawei]

Your an idiot if you think google will give you everything out there.

pleasssssse... it's a correlation thing.. not an exact science in doing the search example...

[Zingaro]

One method of background check is to make inquiries at previous residence and employers and associates.  I told this to my laopo.  From reading 001 website, my SO told me that perhaps they call former employers and associates, but not knocking on the doors to talk to former neighbors and associates.  Maybe those ladies in 001 website don't get feedbacks from their long lost friends, neighbors, and associates. 

That's true for US citizens. However, DOS told me that the name checks done by various agencies do not include querying any foreign government or agency. A name check of a Chinese national is done internally, within US security agencies. There are no queries sent to any Chinese agency or office, and certainly no interviews with former neighbors or associates.

 

Where the US government has specific agreements, a name check might include information from a foreign government, but this normally is not the case.