US Visa

[DeltaRobot]

Hello, during a regrettable period of my life (start of this year) i picked up a drink drive conviction and two cautions, one for class a and one for class c... now i want to go to the us, i have a visa interview this week and i am worried about what will happen. Does anyone have any advice for the interview or know what to expect? Will there be any chance of me being totally denied entry? Or will it just take me a long time to get the visa through?

Thanks

[tigwig]

My hubby was done for drink driving an dwe went to the US Embassy in London. He dressed very smartly and was only there for a few hours. If anyone is going with you they will not be allowed to wait outside the building! They ask you to move. As you would expect they are very OTT with security. He had to join a queue outside then go into a further 2 waiting rooms and have finger prints. We imagined all sorts about the actual interview but it was like you were at the counter of a bank! He was called to the counter and they asked how he was and why he was there. He explained very politely and said how sorry he was blah blah and the bloke said well don't worry everyone makes mistakes!! That was it. You have to pay for the postage of your passport and visa back to you and as it was my credit card thats how I got in to see the building. I would just act genuinely remorseful and hope for the best. They might not like the drugs though so be prepared and don't argue whatever you do! I also know someone who got refused for drink driving so I think it depends on how they judge you on the day and what mood their in!! Good luck. Its too late now but you probably didn't need to do this because those are not crimes of moral turpitude and they don't have access to UK criminal records at Immigration. We found that out later too!

[DeltaRobot]

Thanks. I am told that i come off as polite, nice, an upstanding citizen etc. and as these things happened at a point where my life was pretty awful i hope they will understand... I am definately not looking to be doing anything like that again. Yeah i only just realised about that crimes of moral turpitude thing... im pretty annoyed about that, but yeah its too late now i already booked the interview.

[dzug]

Drink driving is not moral turpitude and you needn't have applied for a visa for that. Be prepared to be asked if/how you have you have overcome your drinking problem though. Denying you have one may well be treated as evidence that you have.

If Class A and Class C are drugs (sorry don't know the terminology that well) then that definitely is in the same category as moral turpitude and on the face of it the chances of a visa are, well, let's say that in theory you are not eligible for one. They can apply for a waiver of ineligibility on your behalf - what criteria they use is another matter. Time since the offence comes into it, as does their view of its seriousness. Whether the fact that you were cautioned rather than sentenced will help, I don't know

[DeltaRobot]

I attended a course regarding the drink driving offence and have been seeing a councillour since the cautions, they are drug cautions. Does that mean i won't be getting a visa?

[dzug]

Potentially - I don't know for certain but recent drug offences - even if minor - won't go down well.

The possibilities are:

they will discount them and give you a visa
they will refer it to Washington for a decision - that could take time
they - or Washington - will refuse you outright, maybe telling you that it may be OK to to reapply in n years time

[Dee Sa]

I would just like to say good luck with the interview, take others advice and if possible wear a collar and tie [ even if its really hot], the yanks like smart clothes, never argue or loose it, just one lapse and your out., be on time, and act like a remorseful sinner ! you' ll be fine.
Let us all know how it went.

[RevFunk]

How stupid are you?

if you had bothered to read the thousands of posts on here you would know that you could just enter on the visa waiver programme.

Drug convictions are a big No No

[DeltaRobot]

Thanks everyone.

RevFunk - I would rather apply for a visa an potentially be turned down, and have to wait some years than go all the way to america to be caught, barred for life and add another thing to my record.