Criminal record and obtaining a US visa

[Suburban Kid]

I can understand your point, but there's no point in me travelling unless it's during the end of May (it's for a sporting event)

 

[Flashback]

I can understand your point, but there's no point in me travelling unless it's during the end of May (it's for a sporting event)

In that case I would cancel at the last minute possible for a refund based on the T&C's of your ticket. I wouldn't risk the other option you're looking at personally.

 

[bass_ke]

Hypothetically speaking - what's the worst they could do. Send me home? Ban me from entering USA again?

Spend a couple of days in a us detention centre whilst arrangements are made to send you home, they aren't nice places.

 

[equus]

Hypothetically speaking - what's the worst they could do. Send me home? Ban me from entering USA again?

Well, hypothetically speaking, the worst is that they decide you are a terrorist and attempting to enter the LOTFAP for nefarious purposes, and you spend a couple of years in Guantanamo.

 

[Hvr]

Hypothetically speaking - what's the worst they could do. Send me home? Ban me from entering USA again?

And if you've been banned from entering the USA it may well affect your entry to other countries.

Nigella had to get special permission to enter New Zealand because she was recently refused entry to LOTFAP.

 

[Suburban Kid]

And if you've been banned from entering the USA it may well affect your entry to other countries.

Nigella had to get special permission to enter New Zealand because she was recently refused entry to LOTFAP.

Thanks for the feedback guys, this process is absolutely disgustingly ridiculous.

 

[fordlover]

Hi guys,

Just an update for those after some advice, as per my earlier post.

I'm at 20.5 weeks and still waiting. My cut-off for my already delayed honeymoon is at the 27 week mark so I have everything crossed that it comes in the next few weeks.

I'll let you all know when it does.

This thread has given me reassurance that I'm not the only one stressed out of my mind.

 

[whatmeworry]

And if you've been banned from entering the USA it may well affect your entry to other countries.

Nigella had to get special permission to enter New Zealand because she was recently refused entry to LOTFAP.

She never had a conviction for drug use but was refused entry to LOTFAP?

Thanks for the feedback guys, this process is absolutely disgustingly ridiculous.

Hi guys,

Just an update for those after some advice, as per my earlier post.

I'm at 20.5 weeks and still waiting. My cut-off for my already delayed honeymoon is at the 27 week mark so I have everything crossed that it comes in the next few weeks.

I'll let you all know when it does.

This thread has given me reassurance that I'm not the only one stressed out of my mind.

Seems quite ridiculous how long these visa applications are taking. Aussie government should really be pushing the US government over this issue as it seems most of the people applying committed minor crimes in my opinion.

 

[Hvr]

And if you've been banned from entering the USA it may well affect your entry to other countries.

Nigella had to get special permission to enter New Zealand because she was recently refused entry to LOTFAP.

She never had a conviction for drug use but was refused entry to LOTFAP?


<snip>

Yes. More here:

[h=1]Nigella Lawson case puts US entry policy under spotlight
[/h] [h=2] US Homeland Security has been accused of inconsistency after Nigella Lawson was stopped from boarding a British Airways flight to Los Angeles last weekend [/h]

It has emerged that Nigella Lawson was prevented from boarding a flight to America earlier this week, apparently on the grounds that she has admitted taking illegal drugs. The US is known for its hard-line on both drugs policy and border control; whilst US Border

Officials refused to comment upon this incident in isolation, regulations state that individuals who have confessed to drug offences outside of the country are not eligible to enter it.

 

[4vdean]

Hi guys,

Just an update for those after some advice, as per my earlier post.

I'm at 20.5 weeks and still waiting. My cut-off for my already delayed honeymoon is at the 27 week mark so I have everything crossed that it comes in the next few weeks.

I'll let you all know when it does.

This thread has given me reassurance that I'm not the only one stressed out of my mind.

thanks for the update...............

Im in a similar position (week 15) but no stress as this thread warned me to get in early, my trip is not until november.

 

[fordlover]

Hi everybody,

I am very pleased to say that I received notification yesterday that my visa ineligibility waiver application had been successful, and my visa is in the process of being administered and my passport sent back to me.

That was 1 day short of 21 weeks or almost 5 months.

The relief is very welcomed. Not necessarily because the waiver was successful (as I'd been approved twice before so wasn't worried about that), but moreso that it happened before I was due to travel for my honeymoon.

Thank you to the users of this forum for giving me ease of mind in knowing I wasn't the only one going through the 5 month wait.

I hope my updates have given others the same reassurance that you have all given me.

Thanks.

 

[4vdean]

Hi everybody,

I am very pleased to say that I received notification yesterday that my visa ineligibility waiver application had been successful, and my visa is in the process of being administered and my passport sent back to me.

That was 1 day short of 21 weeks or almost 5 months.

The relief is very welcomed. Not necessarily because the waiver was successful (as I'd been approved twice before so wasn't worried about that), but moreso that it happened before I was due to travel for my honeymoon.

Thank you to the users of this forum for giving me ease of mind in knowing I wasn't the only one going through the 5 month wait.

I hope my updates have given others the same reassurance that you have all given me.

Thanks.

appreciate the update, maybe ill get mine in aboiut 6 more weeks then with any luck................

just curious as to the form of notification you received, i presume email ?

 

[fordlover]

appreciate the update, maybe ill get mine in aboiut 6 more weeks then with any luck................

just curious as to the form of notification you received, i presume email ?

Sorry mate, hadn't checked this forum for a week.

Yes, I received two emails - one confirming the approval, and the other stating what the next steps were from there. A week later and my visa still hasn't been issued, but I'm sure it's not far away now.

 

[fordlover]

Hi everybody,

I am very pleased to say that I received notification yesterday that my visa ineligibility waiver application had been successful, and my visa is in the process of being administered and my passport sent back to me.

That was 1 day short of 21 weeks or almost 5 months.

The relief is very welcomed. Not necessarily because the waiver was successful (as I'd been approved twice before so wasn't worried about that), but moreso that it happened before I was due to travel for my honeymoon.

Thank you to the users of this forum for giving me ease of mind in knowing I wasn't the only one going through the 5 month wait.

I hope my updates have given others the same reassurance that you have all given me.

Thanks.

Sorry just to put a fullstop on this.

It took 1 week for them to actually process my visa, and another couple of days for it to reach me in Qld.

So I physically now have my visa. Very excited.

So in summary, from my interview day until when I actually received the passport back with visa issued, it was 22 weeks and 5 days.

Don't try to make it happen shorter than that, as there's absolutely no way around this wait. Trust me, I tried every way possible.

Thanks again guys.

 

[N860CR]

They kept your passport for half a year? That's painful

 

[fordlover]

They kept your passport for half a year? That's painful

5 1/2 months, yeah.

No choice when it comes to the matter.

I'm sure if I needed it for other travel that I might have been able to get it back until the visa ineligibility waiver was approved, but I didn't need it for travel so didn't need to go there.

 

[~Bella~]

Great news Fordlover!

For anyone who is interested, or who is in the process of waiting for theirs and after some possible reassurance, my Visa status changed today from Refused to Administrative Processing. As I am led to believe, the visa waiver process sits idle for several months. It is at the 22 week mark (22 weeks and 2 days for me, 22 weeks for a friend) the processing tends to start.

Wooo! Should have my visa in the coming weeks

Thanks to everyone who has replied to questions, provided advice and basically been there as support! It's been a long (& expensive) journey, but this is the price one pays....

 

[fordlover]

That sounds about right, Bella. You should have the passport back in your pocket within a week or two - not longer.

Great feeling to get it all approved, hey!?

 

[RevTZ]

Just got my visa.

I have 2 convictions that are 30 years old, drugs and breaking and entering, nothing I am proud of but I quickly turned my life around. Did not do any jail time.

November 2013 ESTA online visa application was denied – because my convictions were “spent” I thought I could answer NO to the question re conviction. – the US government knew of my convictions.

Filled out the DS-160 form and made an appointment at the consulate in Sydney, I could not get an appointment before January 2014.

Consular official understood my circumstance but the visa was automatically denied, that is standard policy – he said there a 5 sections that disqualify a person and I had ticked 3 of the 5 boxes. Visa ineligibility waiver application was sent by the official to Washington for assessment.

From the time of the interview It took 5 months and 15 days to get my visa approved, 23 weeks and 4 days. There was no communication from any official; my passport just arrived in the mail with the visa in it.

I was given a 1 year visa – multiple entry, the visa start date was mid June 2014 a few days before receiving it, so I get one year from now. Not sure about the process next time around, assume it will be similar but hope to get a longer visa next time.

Hope this info helps someone.

 

[4vdean]

Great news Fordlover!

For anyone who is interested, or who is in the process of waiting for theirs and after some possible reassurance, my Visa status changed today from Refused to Administrative Processing. As I am led to believe, the visa waiver process sits idle for several months. It is at the 22 week mark (22 weeks and 2 days for me, 22 weeks for a friend) the processing tends to start.

Wooo! Should have my visa in the coming weeks

Thanks to everyone who has replied to questions, provided advice and basically been there as support! It's been a long (& expensive) journey, but this is the price one pays....

Hi, just curious where are you looking to see your visa status ?
cheers
Dean.
PS. Im getting close (20 weeks and 4 days)