Do I need a visa from american embassy with a police record?

Question

Please help I have spent convictions dating back twenty years for minor offences ,I am visiting relatives soon and have heard I need to arrange an appt at the american embassy to obtain a visa for entry .I am only visiting the usa for 20 days with my 2 young children

Please can anybody clarify this for me

Answer 1

Yes, you do need to get a visa - because you have been arrested you are not eligible to make use of the Visa Waiver Program. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to the US authorities, so even though your offences may well be "spent" as far as the UK authorities are concerned, they still count against you in the US' eyes. You will need to make an appointment at the embassy in London (or at the consulate-general in Belfast) to be interviewed for a visa (which will cost you $131).

Do ignore replies from people who don't know what they're talking about - the answer earlier on from someone that everyone needs a visa to get into the US is simply wrong - citizens of 27 countries, including the UK, qualify for the Visa Waiver Program unless they fall into one of the following categories:

To quote the US Embassy website:

"Important: Some travelers may not be eligible to enter the United States visa free under the VWP. These include people who have been arrested, even if the arrest did not result in a criminal conviction, those with criminal records, (the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to U.S. visa law), certain serious communicable illnesses, those who have been refused admission into, or have been deported from, the United States, or have previously overstayed on the VWP. Such travelers must apply for special restricted visas. If they attempt to travel without a visa, they may be refused entry into the United States."

Answer 2

You will need a visa whether you have a criminal record or not.  You wont get in without one.

Answer 3

It would depend to some extent on what these minor offenses were. However, normally 20 year old misdemeanors aren't considered an ineligibility for entry into the US. I assume you are from a country eligible for Visa Waiver. If you think you might be considered ineligible due to your previous problems, you can always contact the embassy and ask. you can look up the embassy website at usembassy.state.gov.

Answer 4

to get a visa.. one of your requirements  1.) police clearance and other documents.