Travelling to US with a criminal record in the UK

Quoting leics2

I agree with the advice above.

I've suggested the addition of SAR on many occasions but anon44's questions weren't really related so I didn't think to mention it.

Imo it's always worth applying for an SAR (free) as well as the Acro. If you don't need it, no problem...but if you do need it and you haven't got it it's a pain!

Sorry to hear about your SAR delay, Mustangmatt. I hope it arrives soon....

Received my SAR today.. woohoo!

Only one arrest and conviction showing - I have (and disclosed) two convictions.

Hopefully the fact that the SAR is showing less than I disclosed on visa application is better than if it was the other way around? And the discrepancy wont raise further queries from the embassy staff. I really wouldn't know what further information i could furnish them.

Any ideas how long processing times take from here? I assume the next steps are - they process the information, and if they approve visa, they ask me to send passport to them by courier, then stick visa in passport and courier back to me? 4 weeks max hopefully?

Thanks

Were the two convictions you told them about linked, eg on the same date?

I'm thinking can you plausibly say you were confused.

It depends what the crime is for if the interviewing officer deems it to be an impassable crime then it could be recommended for a waiver which gets sent to the homeland security to make a decision that can take anywhere up to 9 months. If it isn’t a crime of moral turpitude or an inadmissible crime then it will be a few weeks.

Quoting AndyF

Were the two convictions you told them about linked, eg on the same date?

I'm thinking can you plausibly say you were confused.

No, the one that showed up on the SAR was in 1993, and the other one (that doesnt show on SAR) was in 1996.

Just to clarify - I previously declared both on the application and VCU, so I haven't underdeclared any convictions, but rather the opposite.

I should also clarify, in case you are wondering why I dont just declare the one conviction on VCU form, I had previously sent in application, VCU and police certificate, so the embassy already have that info. The SAR I have just received was due to an additional request from the embassy at my interview.

I have a criminal record, and back in March I got my Visa approved in in my new passport.

Holiday now booked for next year, but when traveling, are there any documents I need to bring with me, especially if stopped by cbp

So was think more of my criminal conviction, and my sar request with the police

Quoting Natcheermum

It depends what the crime is for if the interviewing officer deems it to be an impassable crime then it could be recommended for a waiver which gets sent to the homeland security to make a decision that can take anywhere up to 9 months. If it isn’t a crime of moral turpitude or an inadmissible crime then it will be a few weeks.

To clarify, this is an application for my third visa, never needed a waiver before as no CIMTs involved. Already had the interview, the officer said there shouldnt be an issue, but he wanted me to send in the SAR.

So barring any queries cropping up from my SAR not matching the VCU, hopefully it should be sorted quickly.

Quoting JohnCoyle

I have a criminal record, and back in March I got my Visa approved in in my new passport.

Holiday now booked for next year, but when traveling, are there any documents I need to bring with me, especially if stopped by cbp

So was think more of my criminal conviction, and my sar request with the police

Once you have the visa, you shouldnt have to take any evidence of convictions with you as far as I know. The CBP may ask you why you have a visa, and ask about convictions, but that should be it.

Others may advise otherwise. I'm just saying that in my experience (i've been to US on a visa 5 times) I think i've only been asked once about why i needed a visa. However, some people say they have been pulled aside multiple times, so maybe i've just been lucky

Quoting JohnCoyle

I have a criminal record, and back in March I got my Visa approved in in my new passport.

Holiday now booked for next year, but when traveling, are there any documents I need to bring with me, especially if stopped by cbp

So was think more of my criminal conviction, and my sar request with the police

I am one of those that has been pulled for questioning on every visit to the states ( 4 for 4) .

It's usually been just checking on who I'm with where I'm staying and how much cash I'm carrying.

However last year I was literally taken for questions and they said I was good to go.

> are there any documents I need to bring with me, especially if stopped by cbp

In a word, no. There are no documents you need to bring with you. The very fact that you have a visa means visa officers have seen all relevant documents and border officers will know that (visa info is on the shared system).

There's nothing to stop you bringing documents to put your own mind at rest, of course, e.g. documents which show you have a place to stay and a return ticket, that you have the financial means to support yourself during your stay (e.g. bank/credit card statements), that you have 'compelling reasons' to return home e.g. job, mortgage/tenancy agreement. Whether you take them or not is entirely your own choice.

You may well be taken for secondary questioning so imo it's best to expect that to happen and to prewarn anyone who's travelling with you. In the vast majority of cases secondary questioning only causes a short delay.

Hi,

Just wanted to come back and give an update on my visa application.

I was arrested at the age of 15 in 2005. I returned to the police station on my 16th birthday to be reprimanded for possession of cannabis and also reprimanded for possession of MDMA. I have had no further incidents with the police.

Here is a summary of my trip to the embassy for my appointment which was booked for 10:00am:

Arriving at 9:20am, there was 2 lines outside the embassy. One of the lines is to 'check-in', where I needed to have you DS-160 and passport ready. Once I made it to the front of that line, I was sent to the back of the other line. This second line is to pass through security, where I emptied my pockets into a tray and then walked through a scanner, just like in an airport.

Once I was inside the embassy, there was another queue for the front desk. At the front desk, I presented my passport and DS-160 confirmation form again. The person on the front desk added stickers to both forms and gives them back to me, he then told me were to go from there. I was directed to P2, which is a 'private booth' on the 1st floor.

On the first floor, there is toilets and also a kiosk to buy drinks and snacks. I waited outside booth P2 to be called forward using the number system which was stuck to the front of my passport. Once I was called forward, I presented my passport, DS-160, photo and ARCO police certificate (with the accompanying document that comes with the ARCO certificate, which details the offences logged on the PNC. I didn't present my SAR or any further documents). The person behind the counter took my fingerprints. He didn't ask any hard questions as I had all the paperwork in order and easily presentable. He then directed me to P3 or P4, which are the opposite side of the first floor.

Once I made my way around to the next booth, I waited to be called forward. This time no numbers were called, it was possible to just walk in when a booth became available.

In the booth I entered, the person behind the counter looked somewhat stern, as opposed to the person in the other booth who seemed quite chipper. After saying 'good morning', I only spoke to reply to the questions he asked.

These are the questions I was asked;
-Is the purpose of your trip for a holiday? (Yes)
-Why didn't you apply for an ESTA? (I didn't apply for the ESTA because I have been arrested)
-How many times have you been arrested? (I have been arrested one time)
-Have you used drugs since you were arrested? (No)

He then said, 'Visa approved, enjoy your holiday, NEXT', and that was it.

I left the embassy at 11:00am.

Some advice I would give anyone reading this who has their appointment.

-Dress smart and look presentable. The majority of people looked somewhat casual, which to me, seems a weird choice when attending an interview. Remember that you are presenting yourself and your past and are being judged!

-Be organised. Bringing a folder with all your documents is a good idea. Make sure they are accessible. I put my in polythene pockets which was unnecessary because I had to keep taking them out. If I had to do it again, I would use post-it notes to separate and mark documents.

-Make sure you take everything! I didn't need half of the documents I took with me, but I'd much rather have too much than too little. I saw some people in front of me with nothing printed and only their phones, it didn't seem to go so well for them.

-Arrive early. Seriously, why would you ever be late for an interview. People behind me in the queue were complaining because their appointment time was 9:00am and they were still outside. Although I don't think arrival time matters in particular, my whole experience was actually quite streamlined.

-Even though the person interviewing me seemed 'stern', I feel like being polite, patient and well dressed went in my favour. The job of the interviewer seemed relentless, being prepared and efficient probably helped.

Thank you leics2 for your information.

[ Edit: Edited on 16 Aug 2024, 13:59 GMT by WhatAPickle89 ]