International background checks are tricky and not simple to run. We’ll educate you on the process and show you how to perform one.
Background checks are common across the United States and the rest of the world. Plus, it’s easy to run a background check on someone who lives in one country. However, when someone lives abroad or moves between countries often, it gets harder to do a background check.
The good news is that search engines have you covered. We’ll take you through what an international background check is and how to do one.
What Is an International Background Check?
International background checks are background checks used to verify the identity of people who live outside of the United States. These background checks are also useful for people who went to school, worked, or lived in another country before moving to the United States.
The information from an international background check will vary depending on the country. Ultimately, it depends on what someone is looking for.
What Information Is Available in International Background Checks?
International background checks reveal a lot of information about someone. In short, it’s a combination of public records from multiple countries. Keep in mind that some countries have different laws about background checks, so information will vary.
Many international background checks will include the following:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Identity verification (through social security or business taxpayer identification)
- Education history
- Work history
- Tax information
- Email addresses
- Social media accounts
- Driving records (including violations and accidents)
- Court records
- Criminal background
- Sex offender status
Keep in mind that this information will also vary based on the person. Individuals with less of a presence online won’t have as detailed public records reports.
Why Are International Background Checks Important?
International background checks are important because they help companies verify the identity of someone who lives abroad. Today, many modern companies outsource work to other countries. While it’s an effective method, it doesn’t account for people claiming to be someone else. These background checks are a way to verify someone’s information and learn more about them.
How To Do an International Background Check
International background checks aren’t hard to do if you have the right tools. The first step is to identify the person you want to background check and look into the laws around background checks from their country. In doing so, you’ll have a better idea of the information you’ll find.
That said, there are four simple ways to run an international background check. They include:
- People search engines
- Hiring a firm
- Google searches
- Social media searches
It’s important to note that if you’re running an international background check to verify the identity of a potential, current, or past employee, it is illegal to do so without their prior written consent.
People Search Engines
People search engines are the best way to do an international background check. These search engines allow you to enter someone’s first and last name to open a full report about them. Your success with a people search engine for an international background check depends on the person you’re searching for and the laws of their country.
Still, these search engines are the best method because the full reports may include information about them in another country. Plus, if they currently live in the United States, you’ll learn what you would learn from a traditional background check.
When it comes to people search engines for international background checks, including reverse email lookups, Information.com is the best option. It has the best user interface, detailed reports, and sometimes it will find information from other countries.
Hiring a Firm
The other option you have is to hire a firm. Background check firms will do an international background check for a fee. Unfortunately, the cost is typically expensive, and the results vary. We always recommend trying a people search engine first before hiring a firm.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in hiring employees, it’s hard to beat a firm. Firms have more resources than many online tools and will get you the results you need. They also ensure that you follow all fair-hiring laws.
Google Searches
Running searches on Google is a more general approach to international background checks but not a bad one. While you won’t find fine-tuned results as you would on a people search engine, it’s a good place to start. Plus, you might find social media platforms, email addresses, and other information.
It’s also possible to do an advanced Google search. These searches will narrow down the results to a specific country, so you’re not looking for one million John Smiths. To perform an advanced search, enter their name and country and place quotation marks around the name and country.
Social Media
The last way to effectively perform an international background check is to use social media. Social media is effective because many people around the world have social media accounts. In fact, more than four billion people use Facebook, and the United States only has a population of around 400 million.
Keep in mind that you’ll have to fine-tune your search parameters to include people from another country. Most social media results are location-based, so adding their country will help you narrow down the results.
Get an International Background Check Done Today
International background checks aren’t simple. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time and effort to build a full profile of someone who lives abroad. Luckily, search engines like Information.com will help you gather data faster than ever.
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