A valid passport is an important and indispensable travel document for everyone who wants to travel internationally. You will not be allowed to enter another country until you show a passport with a validity of more than 6 months. However, not everyone has the right to apply for a passport. Generally, applicants can obtain a passport smoothly if they do not have a criminal record or violate passport requirements. There are still some opportunities for people with felony charges to obtain a passport in some countries. In this article, we’ll find out if a felon can get a passport.
What stops a criminal from getting a passport or leaving the country?
When you leave your country with a passport, your country is responsible for you. If something bad happens in another country, it could be an international crisis. The government has the right to deny a passport if the applicant is abroad and may cause serious damage to national security or foreign policy. Therefore, obtaining a passport can be challenging for applicants with felony charges. It is the protection of diplomatic realities and countries.
In what cases felons can’t get a passport
If you are convicted of a crime, it can ruin your reputation, and what’s more, you have to deal with having a felony on your record, which may also affect your passport application and other normal privileges. Under the law, if applicants are charged with specific types of offenses, it will make them ineligible for a passport. If you have the felony situations shown below, you won’t be able to get a passport.
Severe Crimes
If you are charged with a violent crime, your passport will be refused because you are presumed to be a dangerous person. For example, the U.S. and Canadian governments will deny passport applications if someone has been charged with crimes such as murder, assault with a weapon, aggravated sexual assault, war crimes, genocide, etc. In the UK, if you’re suspected of a serious crime and an arrest warrant has been issued, the government will reject your passport application or even take your existing passport away. Even though you’re on bail, you are not allowed to leave your country.
Felony Drug Convictions
If you are involved in a drug conviction, you will be punished harshly. For example, federal law 22 U.S.C. 2714 mentions that the U.S. government will refuse a passport application for anyone charged with a federal, state, or felony drug offense. This rule applies when a felony drug conviction happens during the crime’s commission while someone is crossing international boundaries or using a passport. In addition, when the person is convicted of a felony, their existing passports may be recalled, even during their stay in a halfway house on parole or in prison.
Other Specific Drug Convictions
Even if you don’t use drugs, you may be involved in dealing and distributing drugs. This can make you a convicted felon. This means that you may be disqualified from obtaining a passport if you are convicted of a federal misdemeanor or drug charge. In the United States, when it comes to the distribution of drugs, it is not too clear in the law to obtain a passport, but the chances of obtaining a passport are somewhat nonexistent. However, there is an exception in the United States. If this is a misdemeanor drug charge involving only a first-offense possession of any controlled substance, the Secretary of State may grant exceptions to passport applicants.
Child Support
Another reason you might become a felon is because you don’t pay child support. In America, parents cannot obtain a passport if they have unpaid child support of more than $5,000. Under child protection, it is the responsibility of parents to either establish a payment plan or ensure that they pay the full amount. Once you have completed the child support payment, you can go to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and remove your name from an outstanding list. And then you can easily apply for a passport and have the right to travel around.
Government Taxes and Loans
You need to pay for what you owe. Unfortunately, if you owe a lot of money to the government, you won’t be allowed to get your passport. Therefore, your plan to travel abroad may be suspended. Of course, when you get into financial trouble, it is assumed that you will run away from heavy loans. It applies to every country in the world. For example, in the United States, if you have huge loans ($50,000) from the government, the unpaid tax bill will prompt the State Department to reject your passport application, or even revoke your current passport to avoid running away with loans. Also, in the UK, if you have a court order that you owe some taxes, the government will stop you from getting a passport. Even if you have successfully traveled to another country, the police will take you back to your country. So before you travel to other countries, you need to make sure that all your debts have been cleared.,
These are serious travel restrictions that can disqualify you from obtaining a passport. In addition, other felonies listed below will prevent you from obtaining a passport:
- Kidnapping
- Child pornography
- Animal cruelty and sodomy
- Cybercrime
There are a number of reasons your passport eligibility may be affected, such as parole, probation, or awaiting trial. Literally, you’re not a felon now but if there’s a warrant in your name, you will not be allowed to get a passport. Read this post to learn more about who may not get a passport.
Rules for a felon to get a passport and leave the country
Of course, it is still possible for felons with criminal charges to obtain a passport and leave their countries to travel internationally, if the accused ex-felons can prove their demeanor appropriate. They can get a passport with the following cases.
- The felons had completed the sentence (imprisonment).
- The felons were set free legally.
- The felons must pay $ 5,000 as a court bond.
- The felony charges against the accused were dropped.
- There are no further charges or arrest warrants against the accused.
Therefore, if the accused felon had the above circumstances, he would be allowed to obtain or renew a passport.
Countries that don’t allow felons
Since you can obtain a valid passport, it doesn’t mean you’ll be allowed to freely travel abroad. Because every country has different laws on how to regulate felons. Felons are not welcome in most countries, even if you have a valid passport. For example, if you travel to the UK with a felony, you will not be allowed to enter. Here’s a list of countries you can’t travel to if you have a criminal record.
- Australia
- Canada
- Cuba
- China
- Germany
- India
- Iran
- Japan
- Kenya
- United States
- New Zealand
Of course, this list shows only a small part. It’s better for you to check if the country you want to travel to has entry restrictions for convicted felons.
Conclusion
It is possible for convicted felons to get a passport, but it depends on different felony conviction cases. If you are accused of a serious felony, it will be more difficult or even impossible for you to apply for a passport. Even after you are lucky to be set free or have covered the sentence, you can smoothly get a new passport legally. At this moment, you will find that there are only a few countries in the world you can visit.
Dolores Xiao