Hi everybody...
I guess it happens. I hope it doesn't happen for you. Here is the story.
Got my green card a little over two years ago. Was planning to apply for Citizenship as soon as I can.
Got arrested on a first time DUI case two nights ago. For those of you who are not famaliar, it means: cops stopped me while driving. Asked some questions, did the routine tests (which I was actually did very good), took the breathalizer test and my blood alcohol was 0.1% (limit is 0.08). Took me to county jail to sober up, did the paper work. Have a court in a month. Most likely, my driving licence will be suspended for few months (which is okay cause I carpool pretty much every day), have to do community service for few weekends, and have to attend classes for couple months few hours a week. Will be on "informal probation" for three years. Total cost would be over $2000 in fines and fees (not including future insurance raise).
The law says, for being eligible for US citizenship, you have to be a person with "good moral character" for the last five years before applying. Also, the applicant cannot be on probation at the time of oath I guess.
Now here comes my questions and I appreciate your comments and feedbacks please.
- I am thinking to get a lawyer to handle this. Will cost me additional $5500. There is a slight chance that I can reduce it to a lesser charge. Is it worth the $5500? My only concern is my future citizenship application.
- It seems nobody knows if the "informal probation" is actually considered a "probation" by immigration during naturalization. Anybody any thought on this?
- If the answer to the above question is: yes "informal probation" is considered a probation, then I should warn the DUI attorney not to bargain with longer probation time in exchange for lesser charge. That would not be of any interest for me as I can always - worse come to worse - wait 5yr before applying for citizenship. Somebody mentioned - and I will confirm this - that DUI attorney can extend the probation to 7 or 8 years in exchange of reducing the charge to a wet wrecktless driving.
- Is this going to impact my entry to US using my existing green card?
- Any difficulty with future employement?
- I suppose I should answer "yes" to questions like "have you ever been arrested/convicted of a blah blah" right? Is there such question in any private employer application? There should be one in citizenship aopplication though, right?
Thanks guys and please share your thoughts whatever it is. My apologies for mis-spelling... typing in hurry...
-tantan
I guess it happens. I hope it doesn't happen for you. Here is the story.
Got my green card a little over two years ago. Was planning to apply for Citizenship as soon as I can.
Got arrested on a first time DUI case two nights ago. For those of you who are not famaliar, it means: cops stopped me while driving. Asked some questions, did the routine tests (which I was actually did very good), took the breathalizer test and my blood alcohol was 0.1% (limit is 0.08). Took me to county jail to sober up, did the paper work. Have a court in a month. Most likely, my driving licence will be suspended for few months (which is okay cause I carpool pretty much every day), have to do community service for few weekends, and have to attend classes for couple months few hours a week. Will be on "informal probation" for three years. Total cost would be over $2000 in fines and fees (not including future insurance raise).
The law says, for being eligible for US citizenship, you have to be a person with "good moral character" for the last five years before applying. Also, the applicant cannot be on probation at the time of oath I guess.
Now here comes my questions and I appreciate your comments and feedbacks please.
- I am thinking to get a lawyer to handle this. Will cost me additional $5500. There is a slight chance that I can reduce it to a lesser charge. Is it worth the $5500? My only concern is my future citizenship application.
- It seems nobody knows if the "informal probation" is actually considered a "probation" by immigration during naturalization. Anybody any thought on this?
- If the answer to the above question is: yes "informal probation" is considered a probation, then I should warn the DUI attorney not to bargain with longer probation time in exchange for lesser charge. That would not be of any interest for me as I can always - worse come to worse - wait 5yr before applying for citizenship. Somebody mentioned - and I will confirm this - that DUI attorney can extend the probation to 7 or 8 years in exchange of reducing the charge to a wet wrecktless driving.
- Is this going to impact my entry to US using my existing green card?
- Any difficulty with future employement?
- I suppose I should answer "yes" to questions like "have you ever been arrested/convicted of a blah blah" right? Is there such question in any private employer application? There should be one in citizenship aopplication though, right?
Thanks guys and please share your thoughts whatever it is. My apologies for mis-spelling... typing in hurry...
-tantan