Question:

Can i visit the USA for a week's holiday even though i have a criminal record?

by  |  earlier

0 LIKES UnLike

I am a UK resident and was I was convicted of actual bodily harm on the 12/06/2000 and was charged £150.

I have booked the holiday (stupid) and go in less than four week's time.

Have i just blown £800?

Please tell me not!

And i know someone will comment on the conviction. So I will explain myself. Some one hit my mother with a large spanner, so i hit him!.. wouldnt you do the same?

I desperatly want to visit Vegas, and upon calling the us embassy, there is no time for any visa applications (the best they could do to see me was august)

I have read somewhere (but dont know if the information is correct) that you can visit as long as its less than 90 days. Someone please correct me.

Thank you.

 Tags:

   Report

7 ANSWERS


  1. From the US Embassy in London website:

    Under United States visa law, people who have been arrested at anytime are required to declare the arrest when applying for a visa. If the arrest resulted in a conviction, the individual may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa. In order to travel, a waiver of the permanent ineligibility is required. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law. Therefore, even travelers with a spent conviction are required to declare the arrest and/or conviction.

    Documents relating to your arrest and/or conviction

    Applicants applying for visas at the U.S. Embassy in London or the Consulate in Belfast are required to furnish a police certificate from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) issued within 6 months of the date of the visa interview. Information on obtaining the police certificate is available from the ACPO website.

    This police certificate covers the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is sent to the address provided at the time of the application.

    Applying for the visa

    You are required to schedule an appointment for an interview with a U.S. Consular Officer.

    Applicants applying for visas in London are required to request an appointment with the Visa Coordination Officer to allow sufficient time for their case to be reviewed, as their application will be subject to greater scrutiny. Applicants with criminal histories who do not request an appoitment with the Visa Coordination Officer may be required to return to the Embassy at a later date if there is insufficient time to evaluate their case.

    When applying for a visa you are required to submit with your application the following additional documents:

    a completed personal data sheet, Form VCU1 (PDF 64Kb);

    A police certificate from the ACPO issued less than 6 months before your visa interview;

    copies of the court record(s) covering all charges of which you have been convicted, or which are presently pending against you, if relevant.

    What if I'm found ineligible?

    If the conviction(s) results in the applicant being found permanently ineligible to receive a visa, it will mean a lifetime exclusion from the United States unless he or she obtains a waiver of the permanent ineligibility from the United States Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (DHSCBP). The granting of a waiver is not automatic and is based on several factors, including nature of the crime committed, sentence served and the period of time which has elapsed since the conviction.

    If a favorable recommendation is made to DHSCBP for a waiver of the permanent ineligibility, the application will take a minimum of eight weeks to process; some applications may take longer.

    Please note: Delays in processing can and will occur. The processing times quoted are approximate and cannot be guaranteed. It is important that you keep this in mind when applying for the visa. It will not be possible to expedite a case simply because an applicant has not allowed sufficient time for the application to be processed.

    Reminder: Applicants should apply for visas well before the anticipated date of travel. No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of nonrefundable tickets should not be made until a visa has been issued.


  2. Contact the US Embassy here and ask them where you stand,also contact them in the US-Immigration and ask whether there will be a problem?If they say you will be allowed in (if you declare it on your waiver form) get it in writing!

    If you declare it on your waiver form which you fill in on the plane then you may face a lengthy interview from the immigration officials at their end so be prepared.

    What you read may be that you can visit the US under the visa waiver scheme as long as it's under a 90 day visit.Either way you still have to tell them so I'd get on the phone asap and speak to someone about it.

  3. I THINK U CAN GO AHEAD WITH UR JOLLY TRIP, BUT BE CAUTIOUS ON THE FURTHER TRIP

  4. I found this website - check it out.

    http://www.holiday-america.net/ha/travel...

    You may be ok, but you will have to fill in a Visa Waiver form that will ask you if you have any criminal convictions.  From the info on this website, you may need a visa if you have a minor criminal conviction.

    I would ring the US embassy again and push them to do a Visa application.

  5. I have just had to cancel my three week trip to Texas in August, my husband has a conviction dating back to 1979 for stealing a car.  We cannot get an interview for a visa until mid september.  The  flights were paid in full back in January.  I am so upset, we were prepared to be honest but it appears honesty does not pay.

  6. You have two options:

    1. Buy some travel insurance and then contact the US Embassy in London (£1.20/min) and ask for their opinion (don't initially give too many details). If positive response, request this in writing.

    If negative, then also get this in writing to go towards your insurance claim.  You could also ask for an interview if it is a gray area, to plead your case.

    Either way, a trip to London is on the cards or very expensive correspondence fees.

    This scenario can end in one of two ways. You discover that you are not welcome in the USA or that you can get a visa but will have to reschedule your holiday.

    2. Simply don't declare the criminal conviction.  US immigration only have the info on your passport and that which you supply on the Waiver Form.  The form is a tiny piece of card that you complete just before the plane lands.

    If you follow this route then you should never declare the conviction in the future.

    You're also expected to apply for a visa in advance of travel even if you have only been arrested! There is no way that every Brit holidaymaker arrested but released without charge applies for a visa.

    This is why I keep squeeky clean and don't even risk getting points on my driving licence in case I get car hire refused, AND WOULD NEVER ADVISE ANYBODY TO FOLLOW A COURSE OF CRIMINAL ACTION.

    EDIT: I think you may be eligible for the VWP as your offence appears to be Simple Assault and is defined as NOT involving moral turpitude:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_turpi...

  7. You should be able to because we are letting their biggest criminal in here soon, george w@nker bush. mass murderer.

Question Stats

Latest activity: earlier.
This question has 7 answers.

BECOME A GUIDE

Share your knowledge and help people by answering questions.