# Background Check ### What is a Background Check? A background check is a process used by companies to verify information about your past. This helps ensure that everyone working with us meets certain standards of trust and safety. We perform a simple criminal record check on all Scholars. {% hint style="danger" %} **If you choose not to submit your information for our background check when asked, we cannot offer you employment, and we will remove your access to iMerit online work platforms.** {% endhint %} ### How does it work? When you agree to a background check, you’ll provide personal information via our Worksuite portal. We ask that you provide this information to us within 48 hours of request. With your consent, this information is used by a background check company to search various databases and records, such as criminal records. All data that is collected is secured, and shared only with our trusted background check partners on an as-required basis. Information gathered is dependent on your country of residence. ### Do I have to consent to the background check? Yes. iMerit requires all of our Scholars to go through the background check. This is to ensure that iMerit fulfills our legal compliance responsibilities and our agreements to our clients. If you choose not to submit your information for our background check when asked, we cannot offer you employment, and we will remove your access to iMerit online work platforms. ### Will my credit score or anything else be affected? No, a background check will not affect your credit score. It is considered a "soft inquiry," which means it does not show up on your credit report in a way that would impact your score. The background check is purely for verification purposes and does not involve any financial checks. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://imerit-docs.gitbook.io/scholars/getting-started/background-check.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.