visa- us embassy

[moranclan]

We are travelling to the usa for a 3 week holiday in May with the kids, and have just been informed that my husband needs a visa to get in, as he had a DD conviction 11 years ago, we have made the appointment with the us Embassy, but are afraid that it will take too long to get the visa through. But reading through it looks as if he needn't have bothered as they cant check crim records! does anyone know if we cancel the appoint and tick No on the waiver form, if there is any way they will be able to find out he origanally applied to the embassy, as they took passport No. etc? it's kinda ruining the excitement of the holiday!!!

[dzug]

Well in theory they can, obviously.

Whether they will bother to put it in their records is another matter. If you cancel your visa appointment and say you are not going I really don't think they would bother. But that's an opinion, not a fact.

DD is not a crime involving moral turpitude in the US so you would not actually be lying on the visa waiver form anyway.

I did find an on-line document (US government report) about someone with a DUI conviction travelling on a stolen passport who ticked 'yes' on the form, admitted it was for DUI and still got in - despite the passport being in their list of stolen passports as well. ( wouldn't recommend this BTW.....) It was quite revealing on how US immigration works, or doesn't, but no real help to those with minor records.

[JonnoGenie]

>>does anyone know if we cancel the appoint and tick No on the waiver form,

I'd do this. Rather than go through an unnecessary visa process and then get into the catch 22 of being barred from both the visa and visa waiver scheme. I'd just cancel my visa appt. say my plans had changed and you'll reapply as needs be. You could still then enter on the VWS and not be misleading anyone in any way...


if there is any way they will be able to find out he origanally applied to the embassy, as they took passport No. etc? it's kinda ruining the excitement of the holiday!!!

>> you applied for an appointement for a visa, and then cancelled it. Big difference between that and the embassy hearing your application and refusinfg you a visa...

[moranclan]

cheers for your replies, i've just taken the plunge and cancelled the appt at embassy! saying that our plans had changed etc, so it's just fingers x from here on! wish us luck!!!....!

[JonnoGenie]

Good luck. Just remember... you have done nothing wrong

(yet) lol

[1313gray]

Please can you tell me what you decided and what the outcome was as we are in a similar position x

[moranclan]

Hi 1313gray, this seems like an age ago now.... but we cancelled our appoint at embassy and on the aeroplane questionnaire we ticked No on the criminal record question, and all was fine, like dzug quoted DD is not a crime involving moral turpitude and that is what they are concerned about..... We had a lovely holiday and tried not to be too nervous bout actually gettin into the country on the lead up to it......hope this helps

[1313gray]

If only it was the same method used now we may have chanced it. You now how to apply for your visa online at least 72 hours before and that gives them more time to look into things. The new ESTA tracking system came into place on 12 January which means your figerprints are now tracked to your passport so if my husbant was to tick no the that particualr question as you have to tick yes even if you were only arrested and never charged this is because if you tick no and your prints appear at checkin you will be denied entry at this end now. My husband has his interview week after next just fingers crossed we get the visa in time now for our holiday in May x. Thankyou for your response if only we had gone last year before ESTA?

[moranclan]

it' all sounds bit complicated when all you wanna do is go on holiday eh??? i know we had our fingerprints registered wen we got into America and all was still fine, we also found out at the time that the British criminal records weren't disclosed to other countries unless it was to do wiv terrorism and moral crimes,but as you say it sounds as if they are gettin more strict on it all now..... well good luck wiv everything and i hope you hav a fab holiday (btw did you pay for the holiday before they mentioned the visa thing? cos that's wot happened to us and we were refused a refund!).

[1313gray]

Yes thants exactly what they done to us and like you say your not covered when it concerns your visa. Best to get it all sorted though before we book in future and we would have getting it earlier had we known we needed one

[1313gray]

Hi my husband got his visa already today after only attending his interview yeasterday. So glad we can fly out now with our minds at ease and cant wait to get there. Thanks for all the advise x

[moranclan]

gr8 that's fantastic news!!!! enjoy your hols