Travelling to US with a criminal record in the UK

Quoting WhatAPickle89

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.

Thats very useful to people who people who havent been through the process before, thanks.

I went through the same process last month. was sent to P1/2 (friendly) and over to the other end of the building to P3/4 (stern )

I would mention to others that the private booths are not very well signposted.

I would further advise that P1 and 2 were open when i got in at 8am but P3 and 4 werent manned until 9am. It may have been a one off, but be prepared for a wait if you think getting there for opening time will get you seen quicker, if you need to go to a booth.

A word of warning too, the doors are (strangely) left open during the interview, and because of the glass screen you communicate via a speaker. It is loud, and people waiting outside will hear everything

Good advice on dressing well. I think I wore a suit for my first 2 visas, but wore jeans and a polo last month. And this was the first time I have been asked for the SAR, but i'm sure it was a coincidence.

Quoting Mustangmatt

Thats very useful to people who people who havent been through the process before, thanks.

I went through the same process last month. was sent to P1/2 (friendly) and over to the other end of the building to P3/4 (stern )

I would mention to others that the private booths are not very well signposted.

I would further advise that P1 and 2 were open when i got in at 8am but P3 and 4 werent manned until 9am. It may have been a one off, but be prepared for a wait if you think getting there for opening time will get you seen quicker, if you need to go to a booth.

A word of warning too, the doors are (strangely) left open during the interview, and because of the glass screen you communicate via a speaker. It is loud, and people waiting outside will hear everything

Good advice on dressing well. I think I wore a suit for my first 2 visas, but wore jeans and a polo last month. And this was the first time I have been asked for the SAR, but i'm sure it was a coincidence.

Can I ask how long your you've had an each visa? I understand they can be valid for 10 years? Does how long a person from the UK gets on each one relate to any offences an individual may have committed?

Thanks

Whatapickle89:

Thank you for your useful info.

> I understand they can be valid for 10 years?

Visas can be valid for any length of time up to 10 years. It's up to the interviewing officer to decide the length of visa validity for each applicant, in line with US law + internal guidelines & regulations and inconsultation with superior officers when necessary.

>Does how long a person from the UK gets on each one relate to any offences an individual may have committed?

The same rules apply to all citizenships which need an Esta or visa to enter the US.

The standard visa validity is 10 years but....

It's not as straightforward as a direct correlation between offence type and length of visa validity. That decision is based on type of offence + number of offences + seriousness of offence + how long since the last offence + all the other details of the individual applicant, both past and present, plus any internal regulations and guidelines in force at the time.

I know of cases where people with a criminal record who needed a waiver were e.g. granted their first visa for just a year, the seond for 2 years, the third for five.... I know of cases where people with a criminal record who did not need a waiver were granted a 10-year visa, some a 5-year visa....

In other words, if you have a criminal record there's no way of knowing for certain in advance exactly how long your visa will be valid for.

[ Edit: Edited on 16 Aug 2024, 19:01 GMT by leics2 ]

Quoting WhatAPickle89

Quoting Mustangmatt

Thats very useful to people who people who havent been through the process before, thanks.

I went through the same process last month. was sent to P1/2 (friendly) and over to the other end of the building to P3/4 (stern )

I would mention to others that the private booths are not very well signposted.

I would further advise that P1 and 2 were open when i got in at 8am but P3 and 4 werent manned until 9am. It may have been a one off, but be prepared for a wait if you think getting there for opening time will get you seen quicker, if you need to go to a booth.

A word of warning too, the doors are (strangely) left open during the interview, and because of the glass screen you communicate via a speaker. It is loud, and people waiting outside will hear everything

Good advice on dressing well. I think I wore a suit for my first 2 visas, but wore jeans and a polo last month. And this was the first time I have been asked for the SAR, but i'm sure it was a coincidence.

Can I ask how long your you've had an each visa? I understand they can be valid for 10 years? Does how long a person from the UK gets on each one relate to any offences an individual may have committed?

Thanks

Hi mate

I've had two 10 year ones so far. 2004 and 2014, and waiting on my third now.

Its possible the length of visa is tied to the offence but I'm not sure. My convictions were in 1994 and 1996 and very minor - dealt with at magistrates with conditional discharges

edit - sorry, just seen leics2 has given a more comprehensive answer

[ Edit: Edited on 17 Aug 2024, 13:58 GMT by Mustangmatt ]

Im panicking about my VCU01

I know ive asked before about this

So i was arrested onnce and thats on the top line
I plead guilty to 8 counts of theft they took 2 counts of obtaining products by deception into consideration as i pleaded guilty so 4 months running concurrent.

Trying to make this look neat is a nigtmatre, ive no idea how i filled it it last time .

Ive literally put

8 x theft magistarates. 4 months yoi
2 x obtaining products by deception. Magistrates 4m yoi

And also ..... i have
My instructions
Confirmation email
Police Cert
SAR (pnc)
VCU01

Do i need confirmation of fee for intwrview ?

Any advice appreciated

[ Edit: Edited on 19 Aug 2024, 15:11 GMT by Ooberj ]

What you put on the VCU01 looks ok though, if there's space, I'd put 'Young Offenders Institution' in full for the theft charges. If not, put 'YOI' in capital letters. I'd also put 'concurrent' after the 'obtaining goods by deception' 4m YOI to make it absolutely clear that sentence wasn't served separately.

That is:

8 x theft. Magistrates. 4 months Young Offenders Institution.
2 x obtaining products by deception. Magistrates. 4m YOI (concurrent).

>Do i need confirmation of fee for intwrview ?

No. They know if you paid long before you turn up for your interview!

This page tells you exactly what you need to bring:

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/tourism-visitor/required-documents/

There's nothing to stop you bringing other documents e.g. proof of employment, proof of financial status etc etc though the interviewer may not want to see them. Only offer them if you're asked.

[ Edit: Edited on 19 Aug 2024, 18:31 GMT by leics2 ]

Greatgrandma: I think you've posted in the wrong thread!

(PS If you're talking about the UK, mallards are not an invasive species. They're native, and are a protected species.)

Yes I did - I was relpying to a blog post and got confued. But mallards are native to the USA and they are not protected, or they shouldn't be - they are as common over there as pigeons and they are pushing out the native duck which from memory is the white headed duck. Also feeding wildlife is not relly a good idea in many cases

Just a question, following the interview if you are granted a visa or granted a waiver whats the process for passport?

Ie if you are granted a visa do they stamp it instantly or keep the passport and post it within 2 weeks etc?

Or if its a waiver granted then they will tell you when to send in the passport?

The only reason I'm asking is I have a flight booked in europe 2 weeks after my interview date and don't know how it works

Thanks