Apr
11
Ask Chris: US Visa With A Criminal Record?
Filed Under Ask Chris
Q: Is it possible for me to marry an American citizen despite having a criminal record?
A: Yes, it is possible for someone to marry an American citizen and be admitted to the US with a green card, however it very much depends on the nature of the crime and whether there can be an adequate demonstration of rehabilitation. For example, a person may have a conviction for robbery, 20 years ago, but if there is no clear and convincing evidence of living an honest and decent life since that time then for all US immigration knows that person still might be a ‘bad’ person that simply has not been caught since.
As lawyers, we’d need to examine our client’s life and then see how we could successfully demonstrate that the applicant has lived an upstanding life since that time. It’s quite hard work but a well documented case is more likely to result in a positive outcome. I’ve certainly got an excellent testimonial where we were able to show a complete change of life for a client that had, many years ago had a string of convictions.