criminal record difficulties

masterclaire

Hi
I have a criminal record since i was 20 years old for fraud- taking a cheque book and cashing cheques. I got caught up with the wrong crowd and got caught up with a life of drugs, I went to court and I now have 35 convictions all from the same cheque book.

I have since went to treatment for help to give up the drugs, I went back to college and have a honours degree in social care, and I am currently doing a Masters in Child and Youth Care, my reasons for doing this is I am passionate about helping young people who I was once like and from going down the same road as myself. I am begining to lose faith in what I believe in 'such as telling young people to change, that there is a better life' when I myself am going through such difficulties after me changing my whole life around....

Also when I finish the masters I want to go travelling to either America or Australia, however as a result of my convictions I am coming up against many barriers and I am also coming up against many barriers in working in my chosen career as a result of my record..

Does any1 know of what I can do?
I fully accept that I did the crime I just want a second chance to be equal to every1 else with regards to employment and travelling opportunities.

Thank you for your suggestions and advice

dats_right

OP, you will have to appreciate that with your background you will always face obstacles that others, without your record, will not experience. I appreciate your frustrations but you are not talking about one or two convictions here, you have over thirty convictions, so it is very understandable that people will view you with a healthy amount of suspicion.

Before people take your word on your rehabilitation, you will need to prove that you have genuinely cleaned up your act. The academic qualifications are definitely in your favour and fair play to you on achieving them. A lot will also depend on how long ago in the past the convictions occured and what you have done in the meantime. The more historical the better, really I would be thinking that given your past you would be looking at least ten years of keeping your nose clean (pardon the pun!), preferably with a gap free work record, before the like of the US or Auz would consider giving you a visa. Even then it will probably be heartbreaking and you will probably be made jump through the hoops, but if you persevere and can genuinely show that you are a reformed character then you should be okay in the long run.

Best of luck

masterclaire

Thank you for your honesty and for replying to me. Will take your advise on board and I do plan to persevere with it and it is nearly ten yrs as it happened when i was 20 and i am now 29 so hopefully that will be looked at. thank you