You have likely heard that it’s impossible to get a visa if you have a criminal record, but that’s not the case. Find out more about visas and criminal records.
Many of us assume that a person is completely ineligible for a visa or permanent residency if you have a criminal record. However, that is not a hard and fast rule, and some discrepancies don’t totally rule out your eligibility. Whether you have one already, have recently gained one, or feel interested to learn more, this is what you need to know about visas and criminal records.
Maintain Total Honesty
Failure to maintain total honesty on the application is one of the biggest mistakes people make when applying for a visa. You should know that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services takes these matters very seriously.
If you lie about your criminal record in order to gain a visa, it’s more likely that your officer will deny your application. In most cases, if not all, the USCIS will discover any lies regarding your criminal record, which can make you ineligible to enter the U.S. completely.
Request a Waiver
You are permissible for a visa even after committing certain crimes. However, you will need to ascertain whether your crime is admissible and qualifies for a request for waiver. A waiver request might be useful for various reasons; this could be due to a prolonged period since the committed crime, a family member experiencing extreme hardship in your absence, and much more.
The best course of action with a criminal record is to hire an immigration attorney. They will assist you in navigating the ever-confusing laws of immigration.
Inadmissible Crimes
Among the most important things you need to know about visas and criminal records are the crimes that make you completely inadmissible. These crimes include aggravated felonies or their international counterpart, depraved or immoral crimes, and crimes concerning illegal drugs. You can likely surmise why but these crimes make an applicant inadmissible due to their nature. The USCIS does not want to welcome people into the U.S. who are capable of committing heinous acts.