My old employer will not issue a relieving letter. What do I do?

Ask in writing and keep the email trail. If they still refuse, your full and final settlement statement, PF withdrawal record, or Form 16 from that period can often substitute as proof of the employment dates.

Does a background check see my salary?

Most standard checks confirm employment dates and role, not salary, unless the employer specifically requests salary verification. That is a separate, less common check.

How long does a typical Indian background check take?

This varies by vendor and by how quickly your past employers respond, commonly one to three weeks. Missing documents on your side are the main cause of it running longer.

Background check readiness checklist

Indian background checks mostly fail on paperwork, not on anything dishonest: an employer that never issued a relieving letter, a PF account with a gap between jobs, an address proof that has expired. Fixing these takes days if you start early, and can stall an offer for weeks if you start after the check has already begun.

Tick what you already have ready. What is left unticked is your list to chase down before the check starts.

What you already have ready

You know your UAN and can log into the EPFO member portalVerifiers use this to confirm your employment dates and employer names against PF records.Your PF contribution history lists every employer you are declaringA gap here is one of the most common mismatches a background check flags.You have a relieving letter or full and final settlement proof from each past employerSome employers stop issuing these years later, so request it before you need it, not after.You have address proof less than three months oldA bank statement, utility bill, or rental agreement dated within the last quarter. Older documents are often rejected outright.You have the original mark sheets and degree certificates for every qualification you listedVerifiers contact the institution directly, so a mismatch between what you wrote and what the certificate says is flagged as a discrepancy, not corrected quietly.The employment dates on your resume match what each employer will actually confirmA rounded-up tenure ("2 years" for 1 year 9 months) is a routine and avoidable mismatch.You have at least two professional references who can confirm your role and datesPick people still reachable at a working number or email, not a manager who has since left the company you cannot reach.

Background check readiness

7 items still to sort out

Items ready: 0 of 7
Items outstanding: 7

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

Each item is worth an equal share of the total, since a single missing relieving letter or an unreachable reference can each independently stall a check.
The percentage is only a summary. The unticked items themselves are the actual list to act on.

What this does not cover

This does not run a background check or contact anyone on your behalf. It is a self-assessment against the documents a typical Indian verification vendor asks for.
Some employers verify education directly with the institution rather than from your certificate, so a certificate alone does not guarantee a clean result if your institution’s records differ.
Requirements vary by employer and by verification vendor. Treat this as the common baseline, not an exhaustive list for every company.

Questions people ask

My old employer will not issue a relieving letter. What do I do?: Ask in writing and keep the email trail. If they still refuse, your full and final settlement statement, PF withdrawal record, or Form 16 from that period can often substitute as proof of the employment dates.
Does a background check see my salary?: Most standard checks confirm employment dates and role, not salary, unless the employer specifically requests salary verification. That is a separate, less common check.
How long does a typical Indian background check take?: This varies by vendor and by how quickly your past employers respond, commonly one to three weeks. Missing documents on your side are the main cause of it running longer.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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