+xHi, Hope someone can help here! I am looking to be going to the USA in 2022 with some friends, however I have a conviction as a young teenager for causing a bomb hoax. Yes I know what a stupid thing to have done and I have lived ever since regretting my actions as a 13 year old. The conviction is over 10 years old now and i have not had any dealings with the police since. The conviction was considered 'spent' early as I had done everything that was asked of me and I was told that after a number of years the conviction would be 'sealed' which meant it would be taken off any records. I have had an enhanced DBS check in the past 3 years which came back clear but i have also submitted an information request to retrieve any information held on the PNC. Was just wondering what the likely hood of being caught if I answer no to the questions on the waiver and would the conviction even show up ? Thanks ! Any cautions or convictions received before the age of 15 are treated by the US immigration as juvenile delinquency and should not be used against you. If you ever need a police certificate for a visa application, then it will either be disclosed or else listed as "No Live Trace", which means there is something there, but it has been stepped-down by the police. Your offence appears to be in Category B. For the ESTA application, you will be asked, "Have you ever been arrested or convicted for a crime that resulted in serious damage to property, or serious harm to another person or government authority?" If the answer to that is no, then you don't need to ask us what to do.... The only way your conviction might come to light would be if you were arrested while in the US and the local police felt the need to contact the UK to see if you have a criminal record. If you did apply for a visa, the conviction would be shown, but if it has been stepped-down, it would just say "No Live Trace" and you would then need to follow a process to allow ACRO to confirm whether or not the information you gave the US embassy is correct.
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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)
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