{"id":161,"date":"2019-12-04T09:00:41","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T17:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/?p=161"},"modified":"2020-01-06T10:24:18","modified_gmt":"2020-01-06T18:24:18","slug":"how-can-criminal-charges-affect-immigration-proceedings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/how-can-criminal-charges-affect-immigration-proceedings\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can Criminal Charges Affect Immigration Proceedings?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Immigration-Proceedings-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-164\" width=\"250\" height=\"167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Immigration-Proceedings-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Immigration-Proceedings-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.elawrencelaw.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Immigration-Proceedings-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a criminal history, you need to\nspeak with an experienced immigration attorney before applying for citizenship\nor being involved in other immigration proceedings.&nbsp; If the crime is considered serious, you risk\nnot only being denied citizenship, but having your green card taken away from\nyou and being deported.&nbsp; Immigration laws\nare very complex and each unique situation will be treated differently based on\nhow the case is presented.&nbsp; This is\nimportant to keep in mind while we discuss the basics of how criminal charges\ncan affect immigration proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Having \u201cGood Moral Character\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to be granted U.S. citizenship or to be\nsuccessful in other immigration proceedings, you need to prove that you have\nGood Moral Character (GMC), which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services\n(USCIS) describes as \u201ccharacter which measures up to the standards of average\ncitizens of the community in which the applicant resides.\u201d&nbsp; This is determined by reviewing your record,\nstatements, and oral testimony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Statutory Period for GMC<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, your GMC is determined through your\nactions in the past 5 years.&nbsp; This means\nthat if you have criminal charges from over five years ago, they may be\ndismissed when determining your GMC.&nbsp;\nHowever, the USCIS policy manual states that \u201cconduct prior to the GMC\nperiod may affect the applicant\u2019s ability to establish GMC if the applicant\u2019s\npresent conduct does not reflect a reformation of character or the earlier conduct\nis relevant to the applicant\u2019s present moral character.\u201d&nbsp; This is very vague and open to\ninterpretation, and you could be judged by a variety of factors such as your\nfamily background, education level, employment history, community involvement,\nand length of time in the United States.&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Criminal Charges That Affect Immigration Proceedings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If a U.S. court gave you a formal judgment of\nguilt or imposed some form of penalty, it will be taken into consideration in\nimmigration proceedings.&nbsp; If you received\na criminal charge under the age of 18, it only constitutes a conviction if you\nwere tried as an adult.&nbsp; Any criminal\ncharges outside of the U.S. will affect you if they\u2019re considered criminal by\nU.S. standards, regardless of any foreign pardons or expungements.&nbsp; Some criminal charges that are considered\n\u201caggravated felonies\u201d permanently prevent individuals from proving GMC.&nbsp; Other criminal charges can make you\nineligible in proving GMC for five years.&nbsp;\nThe complexity of immigration laws makes it crucial for you to speak\nwith an immigration attorney in order to prove your GMC.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Protect Yourself In Immigration Proceedings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\n\n\n\nThere are facts in each specific case that can help\nyou in proving GMC if an experienced attorney who understands this area of law\npresents the case.&nbsp; The Law Office of\nElizabeth A. Lawrence offers high-quality legal representation, personal\nattention, and professionalism to help defend those who need it most.&nbsp; Click here or call (410) 986-0088 to consult\nwith an experienced attorney today.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have a criminal history, you need to speak with an experienced immigration attorney before applying for citizenship or being involved in other immigration proceedings.&nbsp; If the crime is considered serious, you risk not only being denied citizenship, but having your green card taken away from you and being deported.&nbsp; Immigration laws are very [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us-immigration"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Can Criminal Charges Affect Immigration Proceedings? 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