12 ms·

Emigration honestly is the most logical option for a felon. A few nations will accept local background checks in the immigration process, so if you move to a s

Emigration honestly is the most logical option for a felon. A few nations will accept local background checks in the immigration process, so if you move to a state where you don't have a record you can just get your police report from a place where your record is clean. Another option is to go live in a Compact of Free Association nations such as Micronesia or Marshall Islands. US citizens are authorized to live and work there without a visa, so once you live overseas there for a few years you can immigrate to most other nations using the background check from your country of prior residence, which is now a country where you have a clear background.

comprev 4y ago
It also opens up an opportunity to hit the big reset button of life. A new country, new culture, new friends and even new languages in many cases. People have the opportunity to become a new person, and it's not just those with a criminal past either. Perhaps those who have experienced persecution can also start a new chapter in a safer environment.
- withinboredom 4y ago
  In my case it was a credit score. I was in a bad motorcycle accident at 19, I defaulted on every loan at the time (vehicle + credit cards + medical debt) while I was busy learning how to walk again. 15 years later, I still couldn’t get a credit card for more than $250, told no to getting a mortgage even with a VA loan, etc. My credit score couldn’t get higher than 600 even after those defaults fell off my record. Now, I live in Europe and am trusted with thousands of Euros in debt if I want it. I can get a house without any issues… That’s a fresh start that just simply was impossible in the US.
  - hellotomyrars 4y ago
    Similar story for me, but in my case I was an idiot with undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and a $20,000 line of credit for no good reason. Blew through a ton of money and wasn’t making much either. Ended up saddled with medical debt after an accident. Medical debt has been erased but the others are still on top of me. I don’t need anything in the near future credit wise though it would be nice to have a line of credit in case of emergencies.
  - the_only_law 4y ago
    > 15 years later, I still couldn’t get a credit card for more than $250, told no to getting a mortgage even with a VA loan, etc. My credit score couldn’t get higher than 600 even after those defaults fell off my record. Fuck at this point let’s start throwing debtors in prison. At least we’ll shelter people who might otherwise be homeless.
    - notch656a 4y ago
      I mean the US does have debtor's prison. Fall behind in child support and you'll be thrown in jail, have your licenses revoked, property and vehicles seized, and passport confiscated. It won't be dischargeable in bankruptcy either. You then get to try and re-enter the labor market with a criminal record, and probably with even more arrears with looming further action. You basically become civilly dead. IF you formerly had a very high wage job it can also be nearly impossible to convince a judge that your 'imputed income' should fall again, even if industry has shifted and you no longer can find those high wage jobs anymore. 20% of your pre-tax imputed income can easily become the majority or worse of your post-tax income if the bottom falls out of your industry, and then you are fucked.
  - tekknik 4y ago
    After 7 years your credit history should be empty. So likely you couldn’t get loans for lack of credit history. There is also no such thing as a VA vehicle loan. Many of us went through this same thing in 2012.
    - withinboredom 4y ago
      It wasn’t empty, but apparently only having credit limits of less than a few thousand dollars when you are making over a hundred k a year is a red flag. Also, just because you don’t see the negative things in your credit report doesn’t mean it still doesn’t affect your score. The US credit system is all kinds of fucked up. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore.
      - tekknik 4y ago
        > The US credit system is all kinds of fucked up. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore. There is a law requiring the removal of debts over 7 years old. The only “report” that it would stay on is with an internal report with the specific bank.
        withinboredom 4y ago
        The missing caveat from my personal experience is that this was all years ago. Things are probably different these days, especially after the recession.
        tekknik 4y ago
        Things are not different these days, this information comes from my experience from 2012. The 7 years law has likely been in place since before you were born.
  - throwaway742 4y ago
    Federal law stipulates that negative information can only stay on a credit report for 7 years although I was able to get much of it off before then. I opened up some secured cards and got some secured loans and now I have an 800 credit score and no problem getting credit. It is definitely possible to start over without leaving the country. I did have to do some research, but there are entire forums dedicated to credit repair.
kingcharles 4y ago
It's sad. It shouldn't have to be radical solutions like that. Poster above is very luck he had his record expunged (although it's possible his record lives on in Google). Most convicted persons are never able to clear their record, even decades later.
btilly 4y ago
How is a person with a criminal record, no job, no support network, and no savings supposed to move to another country?
- throwaway92394 4y ago
  Add no degree. Many especially in CS might even be highly skilled but have no degree to show for it. EDIT: And only speak e̶n̶g̶l̶i̶s̶h̶ a single language.
- notch656a 4y ago
  Several options 1) Marshall islands or Micronesia. Buy flight on credit, do farm or whatever labor you can to eat while you get booted. No visa needed to live or work. 2) Some nations such as Argentina have effectively no immigration enforcement. Once you're in the country you're good and you can file a court case to become a citizen immediately (you'll have to wait 2+ year for it to be granted). In the meantime the legal system in Argentina has to treat you as a citizen while you're waiting on your case. If you truly have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and no access to credit you may be able to hitchhike and/or work on boats/yachts to get to any nation in the Americas. 3) Or, not recommending it, but you can be like the illegal immigrants. Enter somewhere on a tourist visa and take informal jobs like illegal immigrants do. Seems to work for some of them in a variety of European and South American countries. 4) Join a foreign militia/military. French foreign legion, Ukraine. Also YPG and some Kurdish militias I think still accepts recruits and they don't require anything past your flight which you could buy on credit. French foreign legion will grant you citizenship after two contracts and will feed you in the meanwhile, even while you're trying out. 5) Work with an English teaching organization that does not perform FBI background check. Some exist but they may not be plentiful. They may help you get a job in a new nation. 6) Marry a Brazilian (or few other nations). Many jurisdictions in Brazil will issue a permanent residence visa without much scrutiny if you are married or have a Brazilian child. Believe Cape Verde also gives instant citizenship for marriage. 7) IF you can enter Philippines on 'Balakbayan' visa (married to Filipino) then you'll be issued a 1 year visa without scrutiny. After 6 months in the country they don't require background checks from anywhere but Philippines. Wait 7 months after entering, use your spouse to apply for work and permanent visa.
upupandup 4y ago
I can't say if emigration is a solution here since most developed countries, especially East Asia, automatically denies entry if you are a felon. Seems like there is a limited pool of countries that are willing to look the other way. We are talking island states, perhaps Thailand, Eastern Europe.
- notch656a 4y ago
  OP said he immigrated to 3 different European countries with a felony record. East Asia would not be my choice for legal residency as a felon. Although I would note if you're not applying for a visa, they rarely actually have mechanisms to check your criminal record unless someone influential takes a specific liking to you. As I mentioned there are a number of nations that only require background check from countries you've lived in for the past X years. Therefore if you live somewhere else for X years you can then leapfrog to that country.

comprev 4y ago

It also opens up an opportunity to hit the big reset button of life. A new country, new culture, new friends and even new languages in many cases. People have the opportunity to become a new person, and it's not just those with a criminal past either. Perhaps those who have experienced persecution can also start a new chapter in a safer environment.

withinboredom 4y ago
In my case it was a credit score. I was in a bad motorcycle accident at 19, I defaulted on every loan at the time (vehicle + credit cards + medical debt) while I was busy learning how to walk again. 15 years later, I still couldn’t get a credit card for more than $250, told no to getting a mortgage even with a VA loan, etc. My credit score couldn’t get higher than 600 even after those defaults fell off my record. Now, I live in Europe and am trusted with thousands of Euros in debt if I want it. I can get a house without any issues… That’s a fresh start that just simply was impossible in the US.
- hellotomyrars 4y ago
  Similar story for me, but in my case I was an idiot with undiagnosed and untreated mental illness and a $20,000 line of credit for no good reason. Blew through a ton of money and wasn’t making much either. Ended up saddled with medical debt after an accident. Medical debt has been erased but the others are still on top of me. I don’t need anything in the near future credit wise though it would be nice to have a line of credit in case of emergencies.
- the_only_law 4y ago
  > 15 years later, I still couldn’t get a credit card for more than $250, told no to getting a mortgage even with a VA loan, etc. My credit score couldn’t get higher than 600 even after those defaults fell off my record. Fuck at this point let’s start throwing debtors in prison. At least we’ll shelter people who might otherwise be homeless.
  - notch656a 4y ago
    I mean the US does have debtor's prison. Fall behind in child support and you'll be thrown in jail, have your licenses revoked, property and vehicles seized, and passport confiscated. It won't be dischargeable in bankruptcy either. You then get to try and re-enter the labor market with a criminal record, and probably with even more arrears with looming further action. You basically become civilly dead. IF you formerly had a very high wage job it can also be nearly impossible to convince a judge that your 'imputed income' should fall again, even if industry has shifted and you no longer can find those high wage jobs anymore. 20% of your pre-tax imputed income can easily become the majority or worse of your post-tax income if the bottom falls out of your industry, and then you are fucked.
- tekknik 4y ago
  After 7 years your credit history should be empty. So likely you couldn’t get loans for lack of credit history. There is also no such thing as a VA vehicle loan. Many of us went through this same thing in 2012.
  - withinboredom 4y ago
    It wasn’t empty, but apparently only having credit limits of less than a few thousand dollars when you are making over a hundred k a year is a red flag. Also, just because you don’t see the negative things in your credit report doesn’t mean it still doesn’t affect your score. The US credit system is all kinds of fucked up. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore.
    - tekknik 4y ago
      > The US credit system is all kinds of fucked up. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it anymore. There is a law requiring the removal of debts over 7 years old. The only “report” that it would stay on is with an internal report with the specific bank.
      - withinboredom 4y ago
        The missing caveat from my personal experience is that this was all years ago. Things are probably different these days, especially after the recession.
        tekknik 4y ago
        Things are not different these days, this information comes from my experience from 2012. The 7 years law has likely been in place since before you were born.
- throwaway742 4y ago
  Federal law stipulates that negative information can only stay on a credit report for 7 years although I was able to get much of it off before then. I opened up some secured cards and got some secured loans and now I have an 800 credit score and no problem getting credit. It is definitely possible to start over without leaving the country. I did have to do some research, but there are entire forums dedicated to credit repair.

kingcharles 4y ago

It's sad. It shouldn't have to be radical solutions like that. Poster above is very luck he had his record expunged (although it's possible his record lives on in Google). Most convicted persons are never able to clear their record, even decades later.

btilly 4y ago

How is a person with a criminal record, no job, no support network, and no savings supposed to move to another country?

throwaway92394 4y ago
Add no degree. Many especially in CS might even be highly skilled but have no degree to show for it. EDIT: And only speak e̶n̶g̶l̶i̶s̶h̶ a single language.
notch656a 4y ago
Several options 1) Marshall islands or Micronesia. Buy flight on credit, do farm or whatever labor you can to eat while you get booted. No visa needed to live or work. 2) Some nations such as Argentina have effectively no immigration enforcement. Once you're in the country you're good and you can file a court case to become a citizen immediately (you'll have to wait 2+ year for it to be granted). In the meantime the legal system in Argentina has to treat you as a citizen while you're waiting on your case. If you truly have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and no access to credit you may be able to hitchhike and/or work on boats/yachts to get to any nation in the Americas. 3) Or, not recommending it, but you can be like the illegal immigrants. Enter somewhere on a tourist visa and take informal jobs like illegal immigrants do. Seems to work for some of them in a variety of European and South American countries. 4) Join a foreign militia/military. French foreign legion, Ukraine. Also YPG and some Kurdish militias I think still accepts recruits and they don't require anything past your flight which you could buy on credit. French foreign legion will grant you citizenship after two contracts and will feed you in the meanwhile, even while you're trying out. 5) Work with an English teaching organization that does not perform FBI background check. Some exist but they may not be plentiful. They may help you get a job in a new nation. 6) Marry a Brazilian (or few other nations). Many jurisdictions in Brazil will issue a permanent residence visa without much scrutiny if you are married or have a Brazilian child. Believe Cape Verde also gives instant citizenship for marriage. 7) IF you can enter Philippines on 'Balakbayan' visa (married to Filipino) then you'll be issued a 1 year visa without scrutiny. After 6 months in the country they don't require background checks from anywhere but Philippines. Wait 7 months after entering, use your spouse to apply for work and permanent visa.

upupandup 4y ago

I can't say if emigration is a solution here since most developed countries, especially East Asia, automatically denies entry if you are a felon. Seems like there is a limited pool of countries that are willing to look the other way. We are talking island states, perhaps Thailand, Eastern Europe.

notch656a 4y ago
OP said he immigrated to 3 different European countries with a felony record. East Asia would not be my choice for legal residency as a felon. Although I would note if you're not applying for a visa, they rarely actually have mechanisms to check your criminal record unless someone influential takes a specific liking to you. As I mentioned there are a number of nations that only require background check from countries you've lived in for the past X years. Therefore if you live somewhere else for X years you can then leapfrog to that country.