What counts as a "criminal conviction" in the character requirement portion of temporary visa applications?

Australia's #1 for Law
Join 150,000 Australians every month. Ask a question, respond to a question and better understand the law today!
FREE - Join Now

bbyg

Member
4 August 2020
1
0
1
Hey everyone,

I'm really confused as to how I'm supposed to answer the question about if I've ever been convicted of an offence for a 600 visa. I'm from the US, and I've never had any misdemeanors or felonies. However I have had a traffic ticket and a ticket for drinking on the beach, both of which are infractions and not considered criminal offences in my state. However, they were both still processed through the court system. Would I need to answer yes, I have had a conviction. Or since they're not considered crimes in my state, then am I fine to answer no?

I would rather not have to go through the process of getting a police clearance just because I accidentally answered yes when I didn't need to. On the other hand, I want to answer truthfully. I'm just not sure what exactly qualifies as a conviction.