Boston firms bundle FBI checks and apostilles into one service

Apostille FBI Report and Fingerprint Boston have launched a single-office service in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, that combines fingerprinting, the FBI Identity History Summary and U.S. Department of State apostille processing. The setup is aimed at Americans abroad and visa applicants who need one coordinated timeline to avoid missed document deadlines.

Why it matters: - The new setup reduces handoffs across multiple vendors, which can cause FBI background check and apostille packets to miss consular deadlines. - The service is designed for American expats, visa applicants and job seekers who need federal documents authenticated for use abroad. - The company also offers remote support for Americans living outside the United States, a group that often cannot use the FBI channeler route.

What happened: - Apostille FBI Report, founded by Massachusetts notary public Hanson Webb, and sister company Fingerprint Boston now coordinate fingerprinting, the FBI Identity History Summary and U.S. Department of State apostille work from one office in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. - One order covers the full chain from fingerprint capture to apostilled document delivery. - The businesses say the service is available to remote clients in any country and to walk-in or appointment customers at 1215 Main St, Unit 115, Tewksbury.

The details: - Fingerprint Boston captures prints on a Live Scan scanner and submits the FBI fingerprinting case. - The FBI check costs $170 with channeler and FBI fees included, and the FBI-authenticated result typically returns in 1 to 3 business days. - Apostille FBI Report charges $199.95 per report for Federal Regular service filed by tracked mail, or $385.95 for Federal Rush service carried by courier to the State Department. - Both federal apostille prices include the $20 government fee, a notary review, an online case tracker and tracked return shipping to a U.S. address. - The State Department's Office of Authentications handles federal apostilles, and mailed requests are processed within 5 weeks of receipt, while the rush window is described as 7 business days. - For Americans abroad, the office supplies a fingerprint card kit or print-ready file, reviews a photo of the inked card by email and files the request directly with the FBI for its $18 fee. - The FBI says a mailed card takes about 10 days to process once received. - The finished report can then be shipped by international courier to destinations such as Madrid, Lisbon, Mexico City or Seoul. - The immigration document apostille service also handles Certificates of Naturalization and Citizenship as unlaminated originals, not photocopies. - Birth, marriage and divorce records are apostilled at the state level for $149.95 on State Standard or $199.95 on State Express, with the state fee included. - Certified translation is available in more than 30 languages after the apostille. - Documents for countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Nigeria, receive State Department authentication and embassy legalization instead. - The businesses also say they serve applicants for Spain's non-lucrative and digital nomad visas, Portugal's D7 and D8 visas, German and Italian residence permits, Mexican residency, South Korea's E-2 visa, and work destinations in Japan, China and the Gulf. - The service also covers citizenship-by-descent cases for Italy, Ireland and Portugal, plus professional credential registration abroad. - The FBI says Identity History Summaries are not to be used for U.S. employment or licensing, so the offering is limited to documents going overseas.

Between the lines: - Webb says the biggest failure point is usually the transfer between vendors, not the government agencies themselves. - The one-office model is built to keep the report and apostille inside the time window that many consulates require, often three to six months from the FBI issue date. - The process also lets the office stop a case before filing if the timing will not work, which reduces the risk of paying for a packet that cannot meet a deadline.

What's next: - Clients can book cases at apostillefbireport.com or fingerprintboston.com, or call (978) 424-4629 for a free 10-minute consultation Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. - Fingerprinting is available by appointment in Tewksbury and through mobile visits across Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island. - The company says remote cases are accepted from any country, and no government filing begins until the notary review is complete. - Clients who cancel before filing receive a full refund of the service fee. - The businesses say they grew out of Neighborhood Parcel Business Center, which Webb opened in Tewksbury in 2007. - Apostille FBI Report handles federal apostilles with a commissioned Massachusetts notary reviewing each document, while Fingerprint Boston offers Live Scan, FD-258 ink card fingerprinting, FBI Identity History Summary checks through an FBI-approved channeler and mobile visits in the region.

The bottom line: - The pitch is simple: one office, one timeline and one case file for a document process that usually gets broken up across multiple providers.