jems921

Yes, that's the plan essentially. I wouldn't mind living in Canada. I live right next to it so works for me. Seems the most difficult part of immigrating there isn't the criminal stuff but how competitive it's gotten especially after the election. There's still other countries her and I can go leveraging my US citizenship if this doesn't work out. We'll see.

Not like Adam Walsh by any stretch. Canadian immigration lawyers have said i shouldn't have an issue but still have to go through a criminal admissibility process that I'm starting now.

By strong visa, I mean that it's very hard for women in the Philippines to get visas to simply visit the USA. And if they see she is in a relationship with someone there, it's nearly impossible. But if we are married and live in Canada as residents, then she could have her own tourist visa of 6 months out of the year and we'd go from there. I may still try the C1 just to give it a chance but will try Canada at the same time.

Yeah I realized it's a lost cause unless the record shows i was 13 at time of offense, which i turned 14 same month it occurred so that would prove difficult, there is no chance at a waiver. Still haven't seen a copy of the docket yet to confirm. Our best option for her and I to live a good life is to immigrate together in a different, more lenient country that lacks such crazy unforgiving laws. I talked with Canadian immigration lawyers and they say with some due process due to my record, they see sealed US records as well, I could still become a permanent resident there. And she could come with me then eventually have a strong visa to visit the US with me. It's not simple, but it is realistic compared to getting a AWA waiver.

I did actually do a FBI background check with fingerprints on myself a year or so after my records were sealed/expunged. It came up clean. I was surprised but maybe FBI never got the records since I was so young? I'm not sure. I plan to do another background check and if it comes up clean, I will do an apostille and possibly marry her in her country then eventually do C-1 as I wouldn't need to disclose the criminal history like I-129F requires and hope it doesn't come up. I am not required to register as an S.O., however, I did have to from 14 years old to 17 years old if I recall correctly. I do not show up on any S.O. searches. Thank you, I will take this info to the lawyer.

Hi, my fiance in the Philippines and I are wanting to start the K-1 process and I just found out today that I have to disclose my expunged record. I was convicted of a crime when I was 14 years old and it was expunged when I was around 19. I am 33 years old now and since then have had no issues with the law and am currently a single father with full custody and a very responsible adult. I am stunned my past has to be dug up like this and that all the research I have done about receiving a waiver for AWA looks depressing, both in the time it takes as well as approval statistics. Does the fact I was a juvenile have anything to play here? The crime committed was far exaggerated and the victim then is a family member and we are very close to this day. My step-father at the time pushed me to just plead guilty to the first plea deal which I regret every day. My step-dad wanted me out of his life and him talking me into doing that led my parents getting divorced. That was the worst part of my life and after getting it expunged, I felt free and have pursued a successful career, am raising a child who is doing great in school, and now found a beautiful woman to call a wife someday. Only to run into this. I have full confidence I can come up with a convincing argument and I have the determination to work with lawyers to get everything I need for that as well as the funds. But the problem I see is that despite all that, the charge is attempted r*** of a child and although what happened was nothing like that, I feel like the name of the charge itself will lead to a denial no matter what I do. My question is, is it worth pursuing a AWA Waiver? If it was denied, would USCIS share this information anywhere that could cause me not to be able to marry my fiance in the Philippines? In which case, may not be worth the risk at all. It seems very difficult to find any info on this and I am waiting to hear back to schedule consults with lawyers.