Traveling to USA

[jones1983]

Ihave a criminal record for assult from wen I was 16 i am about to go to Florida can I not tell them I have a record or would they find out? It was 10 years ago and I am only going for a holiday with my son

[Booldawg]

I was also worried ablout this for a misdemeanour committed years ago.

I went to the AB with this question 2 years ago; apparently the UK/US crimnal database only share voilations such as murdr, terrorism etc. Anything lesser than this and you'll be fine.

I was so paranoid I ordered a print out of my crim record from the police as I only had a caution it didnt even show up..

I'm sure you'll be fine. The idiots let me in!

This must be one of the most asked questions on here! No-one EVER replies with a refused entry! As I work as a UK civilian for the USAF they already had my fingerprints and still let me in.....

[Buenchico]

This question occurs every few days and, having answered it over 300 times (and read the posts of many other contributors), this is the best I can offer:

It's probably unlikely that the US immigration service will know about your conviction but nobody is going to give you any guarantees.

See here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question785 896.html

Chris

[jones1983]

thanks for that, i have been reading alot of your posts and you really no your stuff, does all this info still aply as in january 2009 something has changed (im not sure what) but apparently it is alot harder to get in usa

[Buenchico]

Thanks for the reply.

The change you're referring to is the introduction of the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) which requires all travellers from the UK to the USA (other than those who hold visas) to seek online authorisation to travel at least two days prior to travel. That obviously gives the US authorities more advance notice of who's arriving than the old system did. (Airlines used to forward the relevant information immediately after the plane had taken off). The introduction of the ESTA, together with fingerprinting of all visitors to the USA, led to a widespread belief that it would be impossible for anyone to enter the USA by simply 'forgetting' about their criminal convictions. That now seems to be untrue but, because information about what is passed from the UK to the USA is hidden under the cloak of 'counter-terrorism', nobody really knows for certain who'll be able to 'sneak in', and who won't.

Chris