Planning an American holiday, don't get a criminal record.

[nitromaniac]

If you have a criminal record the American authorities are told about it (motoring offences don't count). lf you are planning an American holiday you will have to go to the US Embassy in London for a 2 to 3 hour interview with a Consular Official. Then the Dept Of Homeland Security takes approx four to six months to make a decision as to whether to give you a visa or ban you indefinitely.

[ipsg.glf]

My SIL's ex got 3 years for GBH. I think he served something like 18 months inside. He regularly vists the USA. He just doesn't other to tell them he is a convicted felan.

I've no idea how he gets away with it.

[Plotloss]

Eh?

So the US government has access to the UK Criminal Record system?

So something which is entirely secret, unless you choose to disclose it, is available to anyone interested from the US in the name of US Security?

Or is this a case of telling them you have a criminal record and the consequent process?

[hugoagogo]

Plotloss said:

Or is this a case of telling them you have a criminal record and the consequent process?

this, i think

if they do find out somehow when you are there though, could be jail followed by deportation eventually

[nitromaniac]

Plotloss said:

Eh?

So the US government has access to the UK Criminal Record system?

So something which is entirely secret, unless you choose to disclose it, is available to anyone interested from the US in the name of US Security?

Or is this a case of telling them you have a criminal record and the consequent process?

No, the US authorities are told about any UK citizen with a criminal record, that includes police cautions. l wouldn't risk spending a lot of money only to be refused entry at the US airport where you clear Immigration Control. l've been on my hols to America numerous times, but due to a recent conviction l have to go to the US Embassy in London for a 2 to 3 hour interview with a Consular Official. Then the Dept Of Homeland Security will take approx four to six months to make a decision as to whether to give me a visa or ban me indefinitely.

[Plotloss]

So the US INS are informed that a UK citizen who may or may not be planning to travel to the US on an I94W or otherwise has committed an offence, any arrestable offence, so that that individual be identified and refused entry at Immigration if they attempt to travel without informing the authorities?

I'm remaining somewhat skeptical, I have to admit...

Edited by Plotloss on Friday 2nd February 21:10

[graham@edinburgh]

Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.

I'm sure there are processes and channels through which information can be obtained should there be grounds to suspect someone of something, but a total free flow of information of criminal records? Nah.

[brickwall]

graham@edinburgh said:

Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.

I'm sure there are processes and channels through which information can be obtained should there be grounds to suspect someone of something, but a total free flow of information of criminal records? Nah.

I agree.

[tallbloke]

graham@edinburgh said:

Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.

I'm sure there are processes and channels through which information can be obtained should there be grounds to suspect someone of something, but a total free flow of information of criminal records? Nah.

It wouldn't surprise me too much to find the data from the UK crim records database has been swiped and copied to the yanks. Secrets are cheap these days.

[nitromaniac]

graham@edinburgh said:

Sorry, I don't believe it for a second.

I'm sure there are processes and channels through which information can be obtained should there be grounds to suspect someone of something, but a total free flow of information of criminal records? Nah.

This is also for plotloss - l want to return to America later this year & l don't intend taking a chance at the US airport where l arrive. l would rather go to the US Embassy in London for a 2 to 3 hour interview with a Consular Official. Then the Dept Of Homeland Security will take approx four to six months to make a decision as to whether to give me a visa or ban me indefinitely.

A friend of mine was on holiday in America, they gave him a 90-day tourist visa but he over stayed his welcome and took a job without a work permit.

Next time he went on holiday, the Immigration Authorities threw him face down on the floor & handcuffed his hands behind his back & put him on the next plane back to the UK - which means don't mess with the US authorities.

[Plotloss]

Bit different though isnt it?

Overstaying your I94W and gaining illegal employment and committing an arrestable offence in an entirely different country, that is.

I would be exceptionally suprised if they have carte blanche access to the UK CRB, really really exceptionally suprised that is.

What if you are a UK citizen that gets pinched for drugs possession in India?

Will they know then?

Edited by Plotloss on Friday 2nd February 21:52

[Oakey]

Didn't we just have a thread on this recently along with a PDF about what you did and didn't have to declare in the way of convictions, etc?

[nitromaniac]

Plotloss said:

Bit different though isnt it?

Overstaying your I94W and gaining illegal employment and committing an arrestable offence in an entirely different country, that is.

I would be exceptionally suprised if they have carte blanche access to the UK CRB, really really exceptionally suprised that is.

What if you are a UK citizen that gets pinched for drugs possession in India?

Will they know then?

Edited by Plotloss on Friday 2nd February 21:52

Regards the US Government's access to the UK CRB, l'll find out on Monday & post it on here.

[mxdi]

One of the lads where I work had this problem going to the states, he booked the time off to go and came back to work claiming he couldnt go on holiday as he had a conviction and couldnt get a visa.

[branflakes]

Plotloss said:

Bit different though isnt it?

Overstaying your I94W and gaining illegal employment and committing an arrestable offence in an entirely different country, that is.

Speaking as someone who spent 4 years living in the USA without a greencard, I'd say it's VERY different. What US C&I say they know and what they actually know varies wildly. I used to spend 3 months in the USA under the visa waiver scheme, fly back to the UK, spend a night in a hotel at Heathrow and fly back to the USA the next day. After two years of doing this someone from C&I realised and told me that I couldn't come back again without a visa and that this had been noted on my permanent record.

6 months later I was back and sailed through customs as if I was a US citizen. At this point I had applied for a greencard - when checking with C&I they had no record of this, but let me in anyway with no problems...

[King Herald]

nitromaniac said:

Plotloss said:

Eh?

So the US government has access to the UK Criminal Record system?

So something which is entirely secret, unless you choose to disclose it, is available to anyone interested from the US in the name of US Security?

Or is this a case of telling them you have a criminal record and the consequent process?

No, the US authorities are told about any UK citizen with a criminal record, that includes police cautions.....

No, they aren't.

[voyds9]

Surely the answers simply, fly to Mexico, walk across the border. A few thousand Mexicans try it each day.


It's slightly more difficult than catching the HGV from France.

[vixpy1]

voyds9 said:

Surely the answers simply, fly to Mexico, walk across the border. A few thousand Mexicans try it each day.

trying to get away from the food no doubt

[branflakes]

vixpy1 said:

voyds9 said:

Surely the answers simply, fly to Mexico, walk across the border. A few thousand Mexicans try it each day.

trying to get away from the food no doubt

You wouldn't think it if you saw the amount of Mexican restaurants in southern Cali, although come to think of it I never saw any mexicans eating in them when I was living there...

[pappa lurve]

[quote=nitromaniac
No, the US authorities are told about any UK citizen with a criminal record, that includes police cautions. [/quote]

Of course they are not told - they know only about serious convictions which IIRC include violent crimes, rape, child abuse, terrorism and the planning or funding thereof, serious drug offences including moving, heavy dealing and money laundering. There are others but they are all pretty obvious.