Can my criminal record affect my green card application process? You can get a green card even with a criminal record but there are criminal records that will definitely deny you the green card. Before you are issued your green card which is the permanent residence status to the United States citizenship and immigration services or the KCC will have to go through your records to ensure that you have not had problems with the law back in your country or in the United States. That is why for the DV lottery winners, when you are filling out the DS-260 Form, there is a major part that you are required to fill in your criminal record history.
For those who have won the DV lottery and are currently in the United States are supposed to submit form I-601 to the USCIS for check-in these two forms you’re supposed to feel them as truthful as possible. You’re not supposed to lie at all because even if you lie about your criminal record, you will altogether be denied the green card visa. You must be very truthful in everything that you fill in. Make sure you fill in all the arrests or criminal convictions that you’ve ever had in that form. However, you may exclude some minor crimes for example traffic offenses like overspeeding for a short distance without you realizing or some parking charges
Not all criminal records will deny you your green card visa. However, there are three major criminal records that can deny you your green card visa. First of all, you should try as much as possible to be right and not get involved in criminal occurrences.
What is conviction?
Conviction is where you are found guilty by the court or you pled guilty yourself before a court. This is what conviction is as per United States law. These are the three crimes that may deny you a green card visa: Aggravated felony, Illegal drug involvement, and Crimes involved in Moral Turpitude.
Aggravated felony
First of all, a felony is a crime that will cause you to be convicted for more than one year of imprisonment in jail or convicted to death. Types of felonies that can deny you a visa are for example when you commit murder or you’re involved in violence or in kidnapping or rape. Such types of felonies will deny you your green card visa.
Involvement in illegal drugs.
These criminal records include your possessing illegal drugs or involving in illegal drug trafficking. If you have a criminal record involving illegal drugs you will end up being denied your green card visa but there is an exception. If you’re found in possession of fewer than 30 grams of marijuana then you can be given a waiver.
Moral turpitude
This criminal record involves a person involving himself or herself with acts considered publicly immoral or depraved. If an act defines you as depraved publicly or immoral, these types of criminal charges will cost you a green card. For example, if you are involved in the rape of an underage citizen, a person under the age of 17 years old or 18 years old, then this act will cost you a green card. these statute criminal charges include homicide rape animal abuse and activities that show depravity in you.
If you have a criminal record that is outside of these three definitely you cannot be denied your green card. You can be given waivers in some cases for you to apply for your green card.
