Machel Montano’s United States visa is supposed to be automatically revoked because of his four assault convictions, former consular officer of the US State Department attorney, Randy Depoo, has said.
Montano will require special permission from the US Department of Homeland Security, in the form of a waiver, in order to get a new US visa, Depoo said yesterday.
The US Embassy in Port of Spain yesterday said it could not comment specifically on Montano’s “individual visa case”.
However, the US Embassy yesterday stated: “Generally speaking, visa applicants who have been convicted of serious crimes are ineligible for a visa to travel to the United States.”
“Once a person is convicted of any crime of moral turpitude that has a maximum penalty of more than a year in prison then, if the convicted person has a visa, that visa will be automatically be revoked and you no longer qualify for a visa, you have to get special permission from the Department of Homeland Security for a waiver to travel,” Depoo said.
“The convicted person will not be able apply to travel to the United States unless they get a waiver. You do not qualify for a visa unless you get a waiver,” he said.
Depoo said if the convicted person travels to the United States they will be sent back.