Can someone with a felony on their record ever travel outside the US?

Question

I heard that if you have ever been convicted of a felony you can NEVER travel outside the US. Is this true and do you have anything to back up your answer if it is true?

Answer 1

not true at all... however it is taken into consideration when applying for a visa

Answer 2

If you ARE a US citizen you are good to go as long as you don't have any outstanding warrants for felonies. If you do, you may want to consult a lawyer. If not...Have a great trip!

If you are currently NOT a US citizen and have a felony conviction, you can leave the US. Getting back in is a whole other story.

All Resident Aliens and Visa holders have their id's scanned upon entry back in to the US. If there is anything that appears on your record you can be escorted directly to jail until you have a hearing before an immigration judge that would decide if you can stay or be deported back to your home country.

To avoid this, before you leave the country, you could contact an immigration attorney to send a request to the FBI to have them run your criminal record. You will need to get fingerprinted at a local police station. You send the finger print card with a request to the FBI to release your records. If nothing shows up you should be OK to travel and re-enter the US. This is not a guarantee that you could re-enter safely and you should seek legal council on what to do.

Also, depending on the crime and when it was committed, and where it was committed, the local police station that processed the arrest may not have sent the information to the FBI. This is why you need to check with the FBI first. You may be worrying for nothing.

If you are a resident alien/visa holder and DO request said records there is the risk that you may be opening yourself up to investigation. The US government does not want you here if you have a criminal record, thanks to changes in the law in 1996, and could then move to deportation procceedings regardles of your traveling. This request through a good immigration attorney may help thwart that.

The reason I even mention the whole FBI check ahead of time is that non-citizens get caught at the border entry points because, as of fairly recently the FBI Database and the Immigration database work together where as before this was not the case.

Answer 3

My crime was Fleeing and Eluding with a high B.A.C. (Super drunk and didn t stop when I should have).Although many say I can travel anywhere outside of the untied states, I have read many documents that state that I can not enter Canada with as little as a D.U.I. on my record1

Answer 4

whoever told you this was probably on drugs. Why would you not be able to travel with a felony? all you need is a passport.

Answer 5

Not true. A felon may not be able to get a visa from the country he wants to visit, but that is not a US law.

Answer 6

not true, they dont check your criminal record when you are leaving the country, they may check it when you get your passport made but not when you are leaving the country so therefore as long as you already have your passport made, you can leave the country and no-one would know you had a felony when you did it

Answer 7

not true as long as you dont have any pending criminal charges or are on any probation type punishments you free to leave the us unless ordered directly not to by a judge

Answer 8

I think so contact the post office, town clerk, or state department to check for sure.

Answer 9

It's absolutely false.

Answer 10

can someone wit a feloney sponcer someone from another country?