Table Of Contents:
- Will a Criminal Conviction on your Record Affect your UK Visa Application
- How Convictions Affect Visa Types
- If you’ve been to Prison
- What if You Forgot to declare when applying for a UK visa with a Criminal Conviction
- Making a UK visa application with a criminal conviction on your record
- What If You’re Convicted of an Offense While Holding a UK Visa
- Deportation Orders
- Let’s Summarize for You
A criminal conviction on your record can seriously impact your immigration application or current status in the United Kingdom. Whether you’re applying for a fresh visa, already have one, or hoping to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (also known as ‘Settlement’) in the UK, or British citizenship, the Home Office will closely scrutinise your UK visa with a criminal conviction on your record.
In 2025, UK immigration policies place increasing emphasis on the assessment of the “good character” of an applicant, and someone even with minor offences may face visa refusals or removals from the country.
Will a Criminal Conviction on your Record Affect your UK Visa Application?
In most cases, applying for a UK visa with a criminal conviction can create significant challenges for the applicant. This means a serious criminal record will affect the viability of a UK visa application in some way. The severity of the impact depends on the nature of the offense and the length of the sentence.
Most UK visa pathways will consider, when evaluating any applicant’s eligibility, any criminal activity that visa applicants have been involved in.
While it is true that a criminal record may make your visa application process more complicated, the true impact it may have on your eligibility to obtain permission to enter or stay will depend on the factors such as:
- The type of visa being applied for (e.g., family, work, business, or visitor visa)
- Circumstances and nature of the crime,
- The sentence you received (prison length, fine, caution), and the time since your criminal conviction
- Number of offenses on your record.
A serious crime or long imprisonment sentence is usually the primary factor that may affect your eligibility, while a minor offence often may not pose significant challenges to your visa eligibility.
Importantly, some criminal convictions lead to an automatic mandatory visa refusal on the basis of the Immigration Rules, while other types of convictions may be reviewed on a discretionary basis by the Home Office. Irrespective of the nature and seriousness of the crime and sentence, you must always disclose them in your application.
How Convictions Affect Visa Types
A criminal conviction on your record may pose a threat to your UK immigration application in different ways depending on the type of visa.
UK Skilled Worker Visa
Due to convictions, employers may withdraw their sponsorship. A visa can be revoked by the Home Office if any criminal activity is discovered after the issuance of the visa.
UK Spouse or Partner Visa
Convictions involving false documents or domestic abuse can trigger a visa refusal. You must declare all criminal history, even if the conviction took place many years ago.
UK Visitor Visa
Applicants for a visitor visa with recent criminal records may be refused under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules (grounds for refusal).
UK Student Visa
This visa usually has a lower risk. However, convictions involving violence, drugs, or dishonesty may lead to refusal.
Impact on ILR (or Settlement)
Those applying for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) after 1 December 2020 must be refused if they have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 12 months or more.
Also, those who received a non-custodial sentence or other out-of-court disposal (e.g., caution, warning, or reprimand) for a crime committed within the past 24 months must be refused their ILR application.
Being a persistent offender or causing serious harm may be enough to warrant refusal.
Impact on British Citizenship
The ‘good character’ test is a strict requirement for British Citizenship applications. The Home Office must refuse an applicant where they have been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas, and they have received:
- A custodial sentence of less than 1 year
- A non-custodial sentence (e.g., civil orders or fines) or out-of-court disposal that is recorded on their criminal record
and the Home Office is not satisfied that, on the balance of probabilities, they are of good character.
If you’re refused British citizenship, you can reapply only after the relevant time period has passed. However, you must still disclose all past convictions when you apply.
Impact on EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status)
If you’re aged 18 or over, the Home Office will check that you have not committed serious or repeated crimes and that you do not pose a security threat.
If you’ve only been convicted of a minor crime, you’ll still be eligible for EUSS (settled or pre-settled status).
In case of other convictions, you may still get pre-settled or settled. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.
If you’ve been to Prison
If you had the right of permanent residence in the UK or 5 years of continuous residence in the UK before you went to prison, you may be eligible for settled status.
On the other hand, if you do not have, before you went to prison, a right of permanent residence or 5 years’ continuous residence in the UK, you may be eligible for pre-settled status as long as you were released on or before 31 December 2020.
What if You Forgot to declare when applying for a UK visa with a Criminal Conviction?
Hiding or excluding a criminal record may lead to worse consequences than the criminal conviction itself such as:
- Immediate visa refusal
- Possible ban for re-entry to the UK
- Existing visa or ILR status being revoked
- Criminal prosecution for using deception
Therefore, you should always be transparent and honest with your application for UK visa with criminal conviction. Do not forget to provide context or mitigating circumstances to the Home Office where appropriate.
Making a UK visa application with a criminal conviction on your record
Applying for a UK visa (e.g., a family, work, study, business, or visitor visa) is possible even with a criminal record because the Home Office will consider any case on its own merits. If your application qualifies for automatic refusal, consider waiting until 12 months have passed from the end of your conviction or custodial sentence.
For UK visa applications, you will often be asked to provide an overseas criminal record certificate covering the last ten years. Provide this document from each country that you have lived in, or spent a total of 12 months or more over the last decade, provided that you were 18 or over.
Other ways to ensure the success of your application for a UK visa with a criminal conviction include providing a covering letter explaining if there are any exceptional circumstances in relation to your criminal record.
What If You’re Convicted of an Offense While Holding a UK Visa?
If you are convicted of an offence while you are in the UK with a valid visa:
- The Home Office may curtail your visa
- You could be placed under immigration bail conditions
- Removal action may start depending on the severity of the offense
The Home Office will notify you in writing and give you a chance to respond.
Deportation Orders
Deportation Orders are usually issued after criminal convictions, especially if the imprisonment sentence exceeds 12 months. These carry long re-entry bans and require special applications to revoke.
Let’s Summarize for You
As part of an application for a UK visa with a criminal conviction (in or outside the UK) on your record, you must disclose any past criminal convictions and custodial or non-custodial sentences, irrespective of when they occurred. This self-declaration of any criminal record is mandatory, and a UK visa application cannot proceed without it.
The Home Office evaluates the nature, severity, and frequency of offenses when assessing your eligibility. If your past conduct, character, or associations are deemed not conducive to the public good, the Home Office may refuse your immigration application or revoke your existing immigration status in the UK.
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