Ooberj:
>As there is only room for 6 lines on the form, would you suggest filling it out twice ?
No. I think that would confuse the 'process'.
If several charges are the same (e.g. shoplifting on different dates) I suggest you put '4 x shoplifting'.
If all the charges are different list them in order of (legal) seriousness with a last line saying e.g. '+ 4 more charges, 2 dropped (or NFA?)'.
[ Edit: Edited on 9 Jul 2024, 10:37 GMT by leics2 ]
Denis500:
We do not need to know all the details of what happened. The visa officer who interviews you will ask what he/she needs to know. You might want to edit your post?
> how high are my chances of being granted a visa?
No-one here or anywhere else can tell you the chances of you being granted a visa. It depends on all the details of each individual applicant.
17 years ago you were convicted of 'threatening behaviour' when you were a 'minor' (not legally an adult). 'Threatening behaviour' is not a bar to US entry, and especially not from a minor so long ago.
Your offence by itself will not be a major issue but the fact that you do not work may be a problem. Interviewing officers want to be sure that, apart from being responsible and law-abiding citizens, visa applicants can properly support and look after themselves during theit visit and that they have 'compelling reasons' to return home e.g. a job.
The only way to find out is to make a visa application. There's no point in emailing the CBP/embassy/consulate again because all visa decisions are made on an individual basis.
[ Edit: Edited on 9 Jul 2024, 10:51 GMT by leics2 ]
Quoting leics2
Ooberj:
>As there is only room for 6 lines on the form, would you suggest filling it out twice ?
No. I think that would confuse the 'process'.
If several charges are the same (e.g. shoplifting on different dates) I suggest you put '4 x shoplifting'.
If all the charges are different list them in order of (legal) seriousness with a last line saying e.g. '+ 4 more charges, 2 dropped (or NFA?)'.
All same date, all dealt with in one court case .
Thanks again.
On a side note anyone any idea on when dates that have been cancelled show up or is it literally going on the site every hour ?
>On a side note anyone any idea on when dates that have been cancelled show up or is it literally going on the site every hour ?
As well as cancellations, from what I've heard & seen on here I strongly suspect dates/times are released in batches as and when they're sure they'll have enough officers available. Checking every hour is obv excessive but checking every couple of days is prob worthwhile. People I know in real life have checked weekly and managed to get dates several months in advance of their original booking. You can re-book and cancel more than once.
[ Edit: Edited on 9 Jul 2024, 11:18 GMT by leics2 ]
Quoting leics2
>On a side note anyone any idea on when dates that have been cancelled show up or is it literally going on the site every hour ?
As well as cancellations, from what I've heard & seen on here I strongly suspect dates/times are released in batches as and when they're sure they'll have enough officers available. Checking every hour is obv excessive but checking every couple of days is prob worthwhile. People I know in real life have checked weekly and managed to get dates several months in advance of their original booking. You can re-book and cancel more than once.
Thanks again leics2.
Always been helpfull with these things and it's appreciated .
>Will this help?
No-one here or anywhere else can tell you that. The officer who interviews you will make his/her decision based on allthe details of your circumstances, both past and present.
>Does my conviction sounds minor in comparisment with others gettin a visa?
Yes, absolutely. You were a minor, you were not charged with a CIMT ('crime involving moral turpitude', a US-exclusive legal concept), you were not put in prison and your offence was long ago. There are plenty of examples on this thread alone of people with more serious criminal records (including CIMTs) being granted a visa.
Don't focus on that one offence committed when you were a minor. Focus on how you can convince the interviewing officer that you are a respectable citizen who will be able to cope (emotionally as well as financially) with a visit to the US. For example, you say you are unable to work because of your anxieties so the officer will want to be sure you'll be able to cope with a) a long flight and b) a different culture, different routines and different behaviours.
[ Edit: Edited on 9 Jul 2024, 19:37 GMT by leics2 ]
Hi all - new here, and stressing about info which I cant seem to find anywhere else.
I went for my interview at the US embassy in London on Monday, for a B1/B2 visa.
Took all the required documents including police certificate and vcu1 form.
I was told by the embassy official that I now need a stepped down letter, and my visa has been refused (221g) until this is provided.
I've had two previous visas, and the police certificate was sufficient on both cases. I've never seen any request for a stepped down letter on any list of required documents and have no idea where to get one.
Phoned ACRO in a panic and they suggested a subject access report, which takes 30 days.
Has anyone else come across this, and what did you do?
Although the guy who interviewed me said there was no other issues with my application, there's a few things I'm worried about:
1 - Will the subject access request be enough to satisfy the request for a stepped down letter?
2 - the guy at the embassy said the stepped down letter should take a couple of days to come through (but didn't tell me how i could get one). As the SAR will actually take 30 days, I'm worried that the embassy will close my case due to inactivity and I'll have to start again.
3 - On my VCU1 and all previous ones, I've only declared convictions (1994 and 1996). I've also got a caution in 1994 and two arrests in 1991 that didn't lead to charges. So I'm worried now that the SAR will include these, and I haven't previously declared them on the VCU.
Quoting leics2
>If we filled this in is there anyway the US Border will be given this information if we decide to stick with the esta?
No.
>do we apply for the police certificate or a SAR ?
You need both. An Acro certificate does not list all the details of an individual's criminal record. It can say 'No trace' meaning ACRO holds no information on that person (i.e. he/she has no criminal record/involvement with the police), it can give details of recent convictions etc and/or say 'No live trace' meaning there are records of criminal events which happened in the past and have been 'stepped down'. All visa applicants need an ACRO but those with criminal records also require the SAR document which gives all the details to show the visa interviewing officer.
Hi, apologies for hijacking this thread.
Very useful to know this, thanks.
This could have saved me a stressful race against time if i'd known i needed an SAR as well as an ACRO.
I've previously only needed the ACRO, so when did these rules change, and why isnt this info on the US Embassy Visa pages?
I guess you found out by personal experience or experience of others?
>apologies for hijacking this thread.
You're not. This thread has existed for 18 years (!!) to help and advise people re Esta/visa & criminal records.
>I've previously only needed the ACRO, so when did these rules change, and why isnt this info on the US Embassy Visa pages?
It's not a rule change as such.
ACROs come back with either a) 'No trace' (i.e. no criminal record) b) details of the criminal record and/or c) 'No live trace' which means there is information held which has been 'stepped-down'. Info about the 'step-down' model here:
https://www.acro.police.uk/s/acro-services/police-certificates
The US does not recognise any sort of 'step-down' from any other jurisdiction. US visa interviewing officers based in the UK are fully aware of the above info so if an ACRO says 'No live trace' (or they are aware the applicant has offences that have been stepped-down because e.g. he/she has been granted a visa in the past) they want to know the details of all the past arrests/offences/convictions/cautions etc which have been stepped-down. An SAR is the official document which provides the details they need.
For other readers, here's the link for getting an SAR:
https://www.acro.police.uk/s/acro-services/subject-access
>1 - Will the subject access request be enough to satisfy the request for a stepped down letter?
Yes.
> I'm worried that the embassy will close my case due to inactivity and I'll have to start again.
Unlikely imo. No-one here or anywhere else is privy to the exact timings the embassy works to but I very much doubt that cases are closed in the time it takes to get an SAR.
Btw, there's no way getting an SAR has ever taken 'a couple of days'. Your officer was either newish to the job and simply didn't know (his use of 'stepped-down letter' would also suggest that....or he just didn't want to risk you getting annoyed when you found out how long it would take.
> On my VCU1 and all previous ones, I've only declared convictions (1994 and 1996). I've also got a caution in 1994 and two arrests in 1991 that didn't lead to charges. So I'm worried now that the SAR will include these, and I haven't previously declared them on the VCU.
You should have delared the arrests and the caution. The VCU is very clear: 'If you have ever been arrested or summoned for, charged with, indicted for, cautioned or convicted of a crime please give full details including date, place and nature of offence.'
https://uk.usembassy.gov/vcu01_london/
No-one here or anywhere else can tell you how the interviewing officer will react to that info. Visa decisions are based on the details of each individual applicant and his/her circumstances, both past & present. He/she may ask why you didn't previously declare all your previous arrests/offences (when you accept a caution you make a legal admission of guilt) so think in advance about how you're going to explain.
>I guess you found out by personal experience or experience of others?
Some personal experience + 18 years of posts on this thread & 20+ years of answering similar questions here and on another (now defunct) travel forum! :-)
[ Edit: Edited on 10 Jul 2024, 13:46 GMT by leics2 ]