Criminal Law regarding misdemeanor ticket and immigration

[tarzan0009]

Hi,
I was recently given a misdemeanor ticket for misdemeanor
theft(for changing the price tag of the commodities from
18.99 to 9.99) at walmart store in minnesota,
i am just worried how will it affect my visa, immigration
and my green card process and at this moment i am student
and applying for the h1 visa.
is there any way out as i have to still appear for the
court, what mesures should i take so i can avoide it to
appear in my record.or that wont affect my immigration and deportation
thankyou in advance

 

[NYClex]

Theft is what immigration law calls a crime of moral turpitude and is an exclusion ground, meaning you can and will be excluded from admission to the United States. That goes for any kind of visa.

Now, there exist certain exceptions to the rule.

First of all, you have to be convicted of or admit to the crime. As you might know, there are many different ways to dispose of a criminal complaint, not only a clear cut conviction. Charges can be dismissed, adjudication can be withheld etc. It is advisable that you contact an attorney who knows about these things in regards to immigration law (not every criminal defense attorney does know about the implications of a crime on immigration matters). He should help you find a solution together with the DA and the judge.

There also is another exception, that is if the maximum penalty for the crime is one year or less and you have not been convicted to more than 6 months, this conviction will not be a ground for exclusion.

But it is always better not to have a conviction on record at all.

So get a lawyer and learn your lesson.