Miami, Florida · Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM ET
Miami, Florida · Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–5:00 PM ET
Short answers on FBI background checks, due diligence, BOI reporting and FOIA requests. If your case is specific, write to us: we reply in writing within 24 business hours.
The federal criminal record certificate, the fingerprints and the apostille that makes it valid outside the United States.
It is the FBI’s criminal record certificate, officially called the Identity History Summary (28 CFR §§ 16.30–16.34): the record of arrests and convictions held in the U.S. federal system, issued from your fingerprints.
With your details and your fingerprints. Prints are taken at our Miami office by LiveScan (FBI/FDLE), at our Bogotá office by LiveScan or on an ink FD-258 card, or in your city with the FD-258 kit we send you. After the expert review, we file the request with the FBI through an FBI-approved channeler.
It depends on the route and on the FBI’s workload; if you order the apostille, the Department of State’s time is added. Indicative times for each route are on the FBI background report page, and we give you your case’s estimated date in writing before you pay.
One or, sometimes, two valid photo IDs, your fingerprints and the application form, which we prepare with you. If you need the apostille, tell us which country the document is for.
The U.S. Department of State apostille, under the 1961 Hague Convention, if the destination country is a party to the Convention; if it is not, consular legalization may be required. We handle the apostille in Washington, D.C.
Verifying a U.S. company before you sign, invest or hire.
It is a thorough investigation carried out before closing a deal or starting negotiations. It matters because it identifies risks in time and helps protect your investments and assets.
Two. Level I: searches in specialized databases on executives, licenses, potential employees, property, vehicles, aircraft, vessels and connected businesses. Level II: a broken-down search of local and international databases that adds news, beneficial ownership, credit reports, sanctions and watch lists, among others.
It reduces risk, protects your assets and makes the transaction safer: you negotiate on verified information instead of assumptions.
It depends on the level you choose and on how complex the case is. We give you the estimated date in writing before you pay.
Yes. Timely due diligence helps spot signs of fraud: it verifies the information the other party provides and uncovers inconsistencies that can point to fraudulent practices.
Knowing a person’s background before a significant business, financial or personal relationship.
A thorough process that gives a complete, detailed picture of a person you plan to enter into a business relationship or commitment with. It helps identify risks and make informed decisions.
Subject summary, addresses, driver’s licenses, real estate and property, bankruptcies, judgments and liens, UCC liens, fictitious businesses, default notices and criminal records.
Voter records, professional licenses, healthcare providers and sanctions, pilot and sports licenses, registered vehicles, vessels and aircraft, possible relatives, business partners, associates, neighbors, employers and alternate phone numbers, among others.
It depends on the scope of the study. We give you the estimated date in writing before you pay.
If you are about to enter into a significant business, financial or personal relationship with someone and want to be sure of their background, the study gives you the information you need to decide.
Who must report beneficial owners after the final rule of August 11, 2026.
It is the federal law that requires certain companies to report their beneficial owners to FinCEN, part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Since the final rule of August 11, 2026, it applies only to entities formed under foreign law that register to do business in a state.
Since FinCEN’s interim rule of March 2025, entities created in the United States have been exempt, and the final rule of August 11, 2026 made that exemption permanent, effective August 14. The obligation falls only on foreign companies —formed under the law of another country and registered to do business in a U.S. state or tribal jurisdiction—, which also do not have to report beneficial owners who are U.S. persons.
The broadest exemption covers all entities created in the United States, which have not reported since March 2025. Among foreign companies registered in the U.S., government entities, publicly traded companies, financial institutions, SEC-registered brokers, investment advisers and certain large operating companies are also exempt.
Daily civil penalties —the base amount of 500 USD per day is adjusted for inflation— and criminal penalties of up to two years in federal prison. Today they apply only to foreign companies required to report.
By filing a corrected report within 30 days of discovering the error: that is the legal deadline set by the rule (31 CFR 1010.380).
Asking a federal agency for the documents and records it holds about you.
A formal request to a federal agency, under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. § 552), to access government documents and records. It allows citizens, journalists, researchers and anyone interested to obtain information about the activities of the U.S. federal government.
For example, immigration files, border crossing records, criminal records, tax returns, federal employment records and military service records, among others.
Yes: the files obtained through FOIA, for example from USCIS or CBP, are often the documents your immigration attorney needs to prepare the case. We handle the request; we do not provide legal or immigration advice.
No. FOIA applies only to federal agencies in the executive branch; it cannot be used for bodies outside it, such as Congress or the federal courts.
The law gives the agency 20 business days to respond (5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)), extendable in unusual circumstances; in practice, many agencies have backlogs. We notify you at every status change of your request.
Tell us which authority, in which country, needs the document. If your case is not one we handle, we will tell you who to turn to.
info@complianceofficers.org · +1 305 647 3000 · Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET
