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Travelling from the UK to the USA with a criminal record

skyscraper101 said:
Needs to be bare minimum though. Extensive waffling about the world cup or the fringe benefits to being a butcher is not on the entry requirements. Nor is it getting everyone else waiting through any quicker.
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I've only once had anything other than a gruff and huff entry to the US. The first time at JFK I honestly thought they'd ask me to step this way sir.
 
Trickiest part for me is having to tell them who I work for (well known US media company) while at the same time downplaying it to the point of being short to not make it a conversation piece.
 
skyscraper101 said:
Needs to be bare minimum though. Extensive waffling about the world cup or the fringe benefits to being a butcher is not on the entry requirements. Nor is it getting everyone else waiting through any quicker.
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More to the point, chat is a good way of distracting people from being on their guard - a nice bit of disarming chat is all it needs to lower the defences enough to give something away.

These guys aren't there to make nice to tourists, so if there's a reason for having a little bit of chat, it's not human kindness or PR. Or, at the very least, anyone posting on this thread would do well to assume it isn't...
 
existentialist said:
More to the point, chat is a good way of distracting people from being on their guard - a nice bit of disarming chat is all it needs to lower the defences enough to give something away.

These guys aren't there to make nice to tourists, so if there's a reason for having a little bit of chat, it's not human kindness or PR. Or, at the very least, anyone posting on this thread would do well to assume it isn't...
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they may indulge in some small talk if they're bored and the computer's slow
 
I flew back into the UK last month - for the fifth time in four weeks due to work. The border guard was being nice and friendly asking me why I'd gotten rid of the goatie beard.

All of a sudden he went serious,looked me in the eye and quickly asked me my date of birth. I answered immediately and he smiled then let me through. He was definitely checking me out though :eek:

Keep the chat to a minimum I reckon.
 
totally keep the chat to a minimum, all the innocent small talk they will try to engage you in is designed to trip you up.
genuine lol at the 'lets be nice to them and they'll be lulled into a false sense of security and let us in' chat here.
just fucking no.
 
Supine said:
I flew back into the UK last month - for the fifth time in four weeks due to work. The border guard was being nice and friendly asking me why I'd gotten rid of the goatie beard.

All of a sudden he went serious,looked me in the eye and quickly asked me my date of birth. I answered immediately and he smiled then let me through. He was definitely checking me out though :eek:

Keep the chat to a minimum I reckon.
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I'd have refused you entry just because you'd had a goatie in the first place.
 
Last edited:
Hello all.

Huge thread and lots of good info but forgive me for not going through all 67 pages. I need some advice if possible?

I have a drink driving conviction from 2012 which resulted in community service. Since then, I travelled to the middle east and also the states in 2013. I am due to go back to America this month but have been denied travel via ESTA even after clicking no to everything (off the back of advice and experience).

I am now going to go to the Embassy for a visa interview-as it's an old conviction and a minor one, shall I keep it to myself? I am an upstanding member of the community and this is my only offence and just want to get the visa approved.I'm struggling to work out why it would have been denied.

Is honesty the best policy or not?

Any help would be great!
 
CANTONA said:
Hello all.

Huge thread and lots of good info but forgive me for not going through all 67 pages. I need some advice if possible?

I have a drink driving conviction from 2012 which resulted in community service. Since then, I travelled to the middle east and also the states in 2013. I am due to go back to America this month but have been denied travel via ESTA even after clicking no to everything (off the back of advice and experience).

I am now going to go to the Embassy for a visa interview-as it's an old conviction and a minor one, shall I keep it to myself? I am an upstanding member of the community and this is my only offence and just want to get the visa approved.I'm struggling to work out why it would have been denied.

Is honesty the best policy or not?

Any help would be great!
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Since you clicked no on the esta best keep your previous to yourself, as lying on the esta is pretty much an automatic no for the next 10 years.
 
CANTONA said:
Hello all.

Huge thread and lots of good info but forgive me for not going through all 67 pages. I need some advice if possible?

I have a drink driving conviction from 2012 which resulted in community service. Since then, I travelled to the middle east and also the states in 2013. I am due to go back to America this month but have been denied travel via ESTA even after clicking no to everything (off the back of advice and experience).

I am now going to go to the Embassy for a visa interview-as it's an old conviction and a minor one, shall I keep it to myself? I am an upstanding member of the community and this is my only offence and just want to get the visa approved.I'm struggling to work out why it would have been denied.

Is honesty the best policy or not?

Any help would be great!
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not sure you can, in the eyes of the law, be both an upstanding citizen and a convicted drunk driver simultaneously.
 
TruXta said:
Since you clicked no on the esta best keep your previous to yourself, as lying on the esta is pretty much an automatic no for the next 10 years.
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Thanks for such a quick reply.

Do you think there would be any way they could see any previous convictions? Even if not disclosed?

Also, if you or anyone would care to hazard a guess-why do you think it was denied?
 
CANTONA said:
Thanks for such a quick reply.

Do you think there would be any way they could see any previous convictions? Even if not disclosed?

Also, if you or anyone would care to hazard a guess-why do you think it was denied?
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There's seems to be some disagreement on what exactly the US embassy can get hold of in terms of convictions.

As for why it was denied, difficult to judge. Do you have a Arabic sounding name?
 
TruXta said:
There's seems to be some disagreement on what exactly the US embassy can get hold of in terms of convictions.

As for why it was denied, difficult to judge. Do you have a Arabic sounding name?
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I travelled to the states on an esta after the conviction so not sure why there would be an issue now.

No, not at all. Very british
 
TruXta said:
There's seems to be some disagreement on what exactly the US embassy can get hold of in terms of convictions.

As for why it was denied, difficult to judge. Do you have a Arabic sounding name?
Click to expand...
I have a feeling there's a thing whereby the embassy can ask YOU to produce evidence of your criminal record. It's somewhere in the last 67 pages of the thread. If that's the case, you may have shot yourself in the foot...
 
existentialist said:
I have a feeling there's a thing whereby the embassy can ask YOU to produce evidence of your criminal record. It's somewhere in the last 67 pages of the thread. If that's the case, you may have shot yourself in the foot...
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How would I have shot myself in the foot? Just to clarify
 
Have you been to the middle east a lot CANTONA? Could it be that that is making them deny the ESTA?

I know at least 1 person who has 2 passports (which is perfectly legal) because they travel to the ME and the US a lot and they use one for ME travel and the other for US travel so that they don't have ME visas on the passport they use for the US and vice versa. It can cause problems both ways apparently.
 
CANTONA said:
How would I have shot myself in the foot? Just to clarify
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You made a statement on your ESTA that you had no relevant criminal convictions. That was completely in line with the advice that generally gets given here, but in your case you're now in a bit of a bind - you can't really do anything but reiterate your claim not to have any convictions, but there's a risk that they may find out if you attend at the Embassy...if it turns out they want, or are able to ask you to provide, your criminal record.

Probably one of those cases where it might be a very good idea to get some slightly more formal legal advice on what your best options are...
 
I reckon its because you're back n forth to the ME, or you clicked yes on something without realising.

If by some miracle they have found out about your DD conviction tell them, sorry you didn't think it fell under moral terpitude.
 
Sadly, the phrase "moral turpitude" is no longer on the form which is a shame as I find delightfully archaic. They realised that nobody knows what it means.
 
Yes good luck and please let us know how you get on - if you can. It's good to have the thread enriched with more experiences. Hopefully positive!
 
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