In March 1999, the U.S. immigration court decided that expungement of criminal conviction(s) has no legal effect at the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Accordingly, the INS may place a legal permanent resident in deportation proceedings during the citizenship application process or prevent a family member from coming to the U.S. because of the individual’s criminal record(s).

In California, a person can "erase" certain kinds of criminal conviction(s) by petitioning the court to dismiss the conviction(s) after the individual has successfully completed the sentence imposed by the court. Under the current immigration ruling, this process will no longer provide any benefits to anyone seeking U.S. citizenship or applying for a green card.

Please consult with an attorney if you have a criminal record and are (1) Applying for U.S. citizenship, (2) Applying for a U.S. green card or (3) Planning to travel outside the U.S.