Need Help with Your Background Check?

There are different reasons why you may be screened. It may be that you have recently applied for a position with one of our clients and are therefore going through a standard employee onboarding procedure. Alternatively, you may be a current employee of one of our clients who is conducting retrospective or repeat screening.

Employers have a duty of care to check the backgrounds of prospective employees for the sake of their business, staff, clients, and, in some cases, the public at large. For the employer, such checks provide the information necessary to make well-informed hiring decisions — information which can reduce the expenses of re-hiring and re-training, while avoiding possible reputational damage. For you it provides a straightforward opportunity to give background information to a prospective employer, and also to potentially fast-track the application process.

No. In order to conduct a background check through Sterling Backcheck, an employer must get your authorization to do so in writing before they can proceed.

When our client initiates your screening, you will receive an email which contains a link to access our secure Candidate Hub, which captures all of the information needed to conduct the screening checks requested by our client. Once you have submitted your information, we begin conducting your screening. Real-time results are made available to our client so that they are aware of the screening progress. You will be contacted if any additional information is required from you after the screening has begun.

Before a background check is started, you will need to sign a written authorization which allows the process to begin. While every company has their own specific background screening criteria, there are some common pieces of information you’ll be asked for, including your current address, date of birth, and contact information. Other information may be requested based on the services to be completed.

In instances where payment is required from you to complete a screening service, Sterling will make you aware upfront before starting your background check.

You may complete any required forms in either English or French.

First, please review the FAQs on this page. If you still need help after doing so, please contact us via the form below.

When you first arrive on our background check webpage (after clicking the link in your email), you’ll need to create a new password meeting the requirements indicated on the page. You will also need to check the box to accept Sterling’s terms of use, then click the Create an Account button. You will then receive an email from Sterling asking you to confirm your email address. Until this step is completed, you will be unable to access your account.

You may have had a background check processed previously with Sterling through a different employer. If you don’t remember your password, you’ll need to reset it. Click the “I am a Returning User” option near the bottom of the Create Account page, then select the “Forgot Your Password?” option and enter your email address. You will receive a confirmation email containing a link to reset your password. Please be sure to confirm your email address, otherwise you will not be able to continue in the password reset process.

It may take up to two hours for you to receive a confirmation email when resetting your password. If you don’t see the confirmation email in your inbox, be sure that you have confirmed your email address with us, and also check your junk and spam folders. If you still haven’t received your email after two hours, you can try again by clicking the “I am a Returning User” option near the bottom of the Create Account page and request another confirmation email. If you continue not to receive a confirmation email, please contact us for further assistance.

Try to provide as much information as you can and be as accurate as possible, but do not intentionally make up inaccurate information. We will compare the information you provide with the information the past employer or academic institution provides.

An education verification is a program completed as a post-secondary institute, such as a degree, diploma, or certificate. An education verification can also be a high-school education. A credential verification is a designation you’ve completed, such as licensing or certifications (i.e. CPA/CGA for accountants).

Please note that we are not able to verify self-employment at this time. However, we may ask you to provide documentation to support this.

It’s important that Sterling Backcheck is able to contact your previous employers to verify your work history. We suggest using Google or another search engine to find contact information, checking the employer’s website, or reviewing any past documents you may have received from the employer. If the employer is no longer in business, please provide the most complete information you have.

Sterling Identity Verification (SIV) is a method of ID verification to confirm your identity. It leverages facial recognition and fraud detection technology, while being easy, convenient, and efficient for you to use.

To verify your identity in person at a Canada Post location, you will need a primary piece of ID such as a driver’s license or passport, together with a secondary piece of ID displaying your full name and proof of residence. For proof of residence, you will need a bank statement, a utility bill, or another acceptable document as per Canada Post that displays your full name and current address, as you provided on the online forms. For a full list of acceptable documents for Canada Post ID Verification, please see the form generated.

The Canada Post ID Verification form may not generate if you have entered specific characters in specific fields. The following are examples of what may cause your forms not to generate:

• Punctuation marks or spaces which are followed by another punctuation mark or space.
• Punctuation mark or space as the first character.
• Invalid character in the address field (ie: “#44”).
• Some special characters or accents.

If your forms did not generate, please contact us for troubleshooting.

Most Canadian employment background checks are completed within a week. Please note that extenuating circumstances can cause delays in the process. The most common delays are related to unresponsiveness by past employers or academic institutions.

If additional information is required from you, you’ll hear from either the employer requesting the background check or from Sterling Backcheck directly.

You will be informed by the company requesting the check when your background check has been completed.

Please contact us using the form below as soon as possible so we can let you know how to proceed. When emailing us, please indicate your full name and the name of the company you are applying to work for.

If you have any updates or corrections you’d like to make to your form, please email OrdersCA_SP@sterlingcheck.com. It’s important to include the information below in your email:

• Your name (as it appears on your consent form)
• The organization for which you have applied
• A description of the information to be added or changed

Every company has their own specific hiring criteria. Sterling Backcheck does not make hiring decisions or recommendations for our clients. Any questions about hiring policies should be directed to the requesting organization.

Sterling Backcheck conducts criminal record checks in accordance with the Dissemination of Criminal Record Information Policy. Convictions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (or one of its predecessors) will not produce a negative criminal record check.

Sterling Backcheck conducts criminal record checks in accordance with the Dissemination of Criminal Record Information Policy. Record suspensions (formerly called pardons) will not produce a negative criminal record check unless the suspension has been revoked.

Please review our Privacy Policy that can be found online: https://privacy.sterlingcheck.com.

We take the necessary technical and organizational measures to ensure personal information is secured against accidental access, destruction, loss, modification, or disclosure, and take appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate harm in case of a breach. Personal information held by Sterling Backcheck is stored on secure servers located in Canada. We aim to collect, use, disclose, and retain personal information in accordance with your expectations and the law. You can find full details of our privacy practices in the relevant privacy statement.

Sterling Backcheck will only share the results of the background check with the requesting organization. We do not control how personal information will be used once it has been disclosed to our client.

If you have had recent updates to your criminal record, there may be a time delay before information is updated on the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) repository. If you still want to dispute the finding of your report, please contact us at 1-866-455-5671 or email dispute.resolution@sterlingcheck.com including details of your dispute with your full name and company that requested the background check.

Please contact us at 1-866-455-5671 or accessrequests@sterlingcheck.com.

In most situations, you have a right to know what personal information is held about you. You can ask for copies of your personal information from your employer or from Sterling Backcheck.

If you are not happy with how we have collected, used, disclosed, or otherwise handled your personal information, or if you tried to make a choice or exercise rights about your personal information and you are not happy with the outcome, you can email us at privacy@sterlingcheck.com. We commit to investigating and resolving all complaints we receive about privacy and data protection. If you are still not satisfied, in some locations you may be able to complain to a regulatory or supervisory authority, details of which can be made available to you.