Consular Affairs: Visa Wizard

Question 8 : Arrests & Convictions

Some applicants are uncertain how to answer the question, "have you ever been arrested?"

In general, minor motoring offenses outside the U.S. that were disposed of by paying a ticket by mail have no bearing on admission to the United States. Travelers with minor traffic offenses that did not result in their arrest and/or conviction for the offense may travel visa free, provided they are otherwise qualified. If you are not sure whether or not you are eligible to travel visa free, the only way to resolve this question would be to apply for a visa. The Embassy and the Live Operator Information Service cannot provide any further guidance on this matter until you appear in person before a consular officer.

If a traffic offense occurred while you were in the United States, and you have an outstanding fine against you, or if you did not attend your court hearing, it is possible there may be a warrant out for your arrest and you will experience significant problems when applying for admission at the U.S. port of entry. The Embassy cannot assist you in this regard. You must resolve the issue before traveling, by contacting the court where you were to appear. If you do not know the address of the court then information is available from the Internet at http://www.uscourts.gov/links.html [direct link].

Is the full extent of your history of legal violations limited solely to minor traffic offenses that did not result in your arrest and/or conviction?

back to top ^