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Permalink Reply by Donald Smith on July 31, 2015 at 14:38

I have just ruined my ability to travel via USA even for flight transfer purposes. I wish I had known this!

TAKE NOTICE:

The United States of America is generally very strict with criminal records, no matter how minor or how long ago it has been. The United States of America do not have any concept of "spent" or "pardoned" convictions, meaning you must truthfully answer any questions about criminal convictions, even if your convictions have been spent or pardoned in your country. If you are a citizen of a country that participates in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), any convictions, un-adjudicated arrests, or even a previously refused visa makes you ineligible to travel on the VWP.

There are numerous crimes that makes you ineligible to enter the US, including "crimes involving moral turpitude (such as INTENT TO DEFRAUD)." Moral turpitude is a legal concept in the United States for which the definition can seem imprecise and the list of offences, which can vary somewhat by jurisdiction, can include everything from shoplifting to murder.
If you are convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, you are ineligible to enter the US and little relief exists for this, except in cases deemed to be "purely political offences" which can be open to interpretation by the immigration officer.

For full list CLICK HERE

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