October 9, 2026 · U.S. document logistics

China Work-Permit File: How to Arrange FBI Fingerprints in the USA

If your China-side employer requests an FBI Identity History Summary, separate the online request from fingerprint submission and plan a usable record without unnecessary repeat trips.

Direct answer: If your China-side employer has confirmed that an FBI Identity History Summary is the record needed for your work-permit file, arrange fingerprint submission as a separate step from the online request. The FBI offers electronic submission through participating U.S. Post Office locations after its online application and payment, or a mailed fingerprint-card route. Not every post office participates, and completing an online form alone does not submit your fingerprints.

Confirm the requested record before booking

Ask China-side HR to identify the issuing authority, acceptable document format and any subsequent authentication or translation instructions. Do not assume a commercial screening report is interchangeable with a government record, or that every China visa category requires an FBI check. This guide addresses collection logistics once the required record has been identified.

Also distinguish FBI fingerprints from any Chinese visa-office biometric procedure. They belong to different agencies and different applications. A visa-office fingerprint exemption does not waive the FBI’s record-request process. Keep the request reference and your visa application reference separately labeled.

Electronic route: check the location before traveling

Start from the official FBI Identity History Summary page and follow its online route. The FBI says the online application and payment must be completed before visiting a participating post office. Check the participating-location information and the current identity-document instructions before making the trip; a nearby postal counter is not necessarily an enrollment site.

Keep the confirmation accessible and match the name on the request to your supporting identity documents. If an appointment or registration step appears in the official location’s instructions, complete it there. Do not send fingerprints, passport scans or payment details to an unrelated search advertisement offering to “activate” your request.

No participating location nearby? Coordinate a card submission

The FBI’s instructions also allow an online requester to mail a completed fingerprint card with the confirmation email to the address in that email. Use the instructions for the route you actually selected; avoid accidentally opening a second request when you only need to supply prints to the first one.

Its FAQ identifies local law enforcement and private fingerprinting services as possible places to have prints taken. Ask the provider whether it can produce the card required for your chosen FBI submission. A local electronic scan is not proof that the provider transmitted anything to your FBI request. Confirm what you will receive and what you must mail.

If prints fail, fix the collection problem

The FBI FAQ requires a current fingerprint card and does not offer a name-only check as a substitute. For repeat rejection, it suggests multiple sets, preferably taken by a technician. Keep the rejection notice so the provider understands what must be corrected rather than resending the same unusable images.

When the result arrives, check identifying details and whether it is the document HR asked for before arranging the next document step. Fingerprint collection, report issuance, any apostille and the Chinese work-permit review are separate tasks. Do not treat a quick collection appointment as a guaranteed date for receiving a Z visa.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use any USPS branch?

No. Use a participating location listed through the official process.

Does the online application replace fingerprint collection?

No. The request and submission of fingerprints are separate steps.

Does this mean every tourist needs an FBI check?

No. This article is for a work-permit document request already identified by the employer; do not add it to an unrelated visa checklist.

Related guides

Get help preparing your visa application

eChinaVisa can help organize the U.S. visa checklist, pre-review available documents, assist with forms and follow the application process. Your employer should confirm work-permit evidence requirements first; we do not issue FBI records or collect FBI fingerprints. We are an independent nongovernment service, and Chinese authorities determine visa approval.

Contact eChinaVisa

Sources

Official sources checked October 9, 2026.