The Immigration Law can be very harsh on immigrants who have criminal records. Not only can this result in denial of U.S. citizenship, but it can lead to deportation or denial of entry back into the United States after traveling abroad.
And contrary to what many believe, mere passage of time does not make the matter “go away.” This means that if ICE raises the issue, you cannot fix it by just saying, “that was a long time ago.”
The law lists many grounds on which an immigrant can be found “inadmissible” to the U.S. These grounds include foreign nationals:
- Convicted of, or who admits to committing, either a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT) or a violation of any law or regulation related to a controlled substance;
- Convicted of two or more offenses with an aggregate period of confinement of five years or more;
- Who are controlled substance violators;
- Engaged in prostitution and/or commercialized vice within the past 10 years;
- Engaged in controlled substance trafficking;
- Engaged in human trafficking; or
- Engaged in money laundering activities.
If you have any kind of criminal record, please contact an attorney before applying for any benefits from USCIS or traveling abroad. With both criminal defense and immigration attorneys at our office, we have been able to help many people resolve these issues.