USA Visa Waiver / Esta Drink Driving Conviction

zippy1977

This has probably been asked before but I can't seem to find anything recent about it so any help / advice would be appreciated

My husband has two drink driving convictions, from 11 years ago and 13 years ago (naughty boy!). Thankfully he has cleaned his act up and has had nothing since.

We travelled to the USA in 2006 using the visa waiver program and had no problems.

We are planning another trip to the USA next year and I was wondering how likely it would be that he would get turned away or if he would need to apply for the full visa by attending an interview etc. obviously, we could do without the extra cost but if we have to I want to get it sorted.

Thanks in advance

richardw

Does it ask about convictions when applying for an Esta?

Obviously_the_best

Drink driving is completely fine for VWP. Car hire company may be interested though, or rather their insurance company.

dzug1

zippy1977 wrote: »

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We travelled to the USA in 2006 using the visa waiver program and had no problems.

Then you will have no problems now - nothing has changed in the interim other than the method of applying for the VWP.

We are planning another trip to the USA next year and I was wondering how likely it would be that he would get turned away or if he would need to apply for the full visa by attending an interview etc. obviously, we could do without the extra cost but if we have to I want to get it sorted.

Paradoxically if he were to apply for a visa he would stand a good chance of being turned down as a drug abuser - and have to attend an expensive medical in London to prove he was no longer

zippy1977

dzug1 wrote: »

Paradoxically if he were to apply for a visa he would stand a good chance of being turned down as a drug abuser - and have to attend an expensive medical in London to prove he was no longer

Drug abuser(!), crikey!.....even though it was over 10 years ago?

Horseunderwater

Alcohol is a drug, so that would be why they use that terminology.

John259

Here's the official US Embassy view on this subject: http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=804

zippy1977

Ok thanks, some thinking to do......

dzug1

zippy1977 wrote: »

Drug abuser(!), crikey!.....even though it was over 10 years ago?

Yep - because there were two of them. Only one and they'd have lost interest by now.

melanzana

AFAIK, the question asked on ESTA is about Crimes of moral turpitude. The Embassy has said a drink driving conviction is NOT moral turpitude, so they are covering their backs Id say.

Still it's an interesting issue.

Maybe someone will come along who has recently entered on ESTA with a DDC.

apesxx

There's been a lot of threads on thedibb on this. The general consensus is that it's not MT so no need to declare it. Plus if you have travelled under the VWP before then you should have no problems. Did you declare it then?