Australian ETA with Reckless Driving (misdemeanor)
I am planning on traveling to Australia so I applied for an ETA. The site said I wouldn't be eligible if I had a conviction with a sentence of 12 months. I was arrested in college for a DUI but was charged with reckless driving. Is this a criminal conviction? I applied and was informed that the application cannot be assessed online, thinking there would be another screen to give the details but there wasn't. Does anyone have any clues as to what to do next?
Best Answer
Per the Australian embassy to the US, if you have criminal convictions, you will need to apply for a Subclass 600 Visitor visa:
If you have had any criminal convictions in any country, you should obtain police checks and other relevant character documents then apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600), rather than an ETA to be assessed against the character requirements.
(Note that while this is the US site, the same advice applies to all nationalities.)
Per the character requirements, it is unlikely that a reckless driving misdemeanour in college (how long ago?) would constitute a "substantial criminal record" that would prevent you from visiting, but you'll need a bunch of documentation to prove you've kept your nose clean since then.
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Can you travel to Australia with a misdemeanor?
You must not have any criminal convictions, for which the sentence or sentences should not equal a total period of 12 months duration or more (whether served or not), at the time of travel to, and entry into, Australia.\u201dCan you get an Australian ETA with a criminal record?
Yes, travellers with a criminal record may apply for the Australian ETA or an eVisitor Visa. A person convicted of a minor offence, who has not been sentenced to prison can complete the ETA or eVisitor application form.What convictions stop you entering Australia?
Australia- You have a conviction that resulted in a prison sentence of 12 months or more (regardless of the time served)
- You have been convicted for two or more offences and the combined length of all your sentences amounts to 12 months or more (regardless of the time served)
Can you go to Australia with a misdemeanor DUI?
Australia can deny you entry if you have a DUI with a sentence of one year jail or prison time, or longer. That makes it, under Australian Immigration Law, an \u201caggravated felony\u201d, and you can be excluded from entering.Facing The Consequences Of Reckless Driving
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