# Drug caution and visas



## happydunk (Dec 14, 2010)

Hi all

I have looked through the tabs but can’t find this question for South Africa, I have put everything together for moving to South Africa and now I found out that I need to produce a police record. I have a caution within the last 5 years for being stupid and caught with drugs. I have told my visa lawyer and he says no problem as I haven’t been to jail, but I am a little jumpy as I will be heavily investing and if the visa is turned down I am in trouble. For other countries in this forum it says the same as my lawyer but then somebody else jumps in and says countries will not accept you even with a caution. Can any of you shed any light on this? I have searched the internet with no real luck.

Thanks


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## keepyourpeace (Jun 28, 2011)

happydunk said:


> Hi all
> 
> I have looked through the tabs but can’t find this question for South Africa, I have put everything together for moving to South Africa and now I found out that I need to produce a police record. I have a caution within the last 5 years for being stupid and caught with drugs. I have told my visa lawyer and he says no problem as I haven’t been to jail, but I am a little jumpy as I will be heavily investing and if the visa is turned down I am in trouble. For other countries in this forum it says the same as my lawyer but then somebody else jumps in and says countries will not accept you even with a caution. Can any of you shed any light on this? I have searched the internet with no real luck.
> 
> Thanks


Hi- I am in a very similar position to you as when i was 17 (2 years ago now) i was given a reprimand (youth caution) for posession of cannabis. It was a stupid mistake, in with the wrong crowd etc and in a few years time (4/5 years after the offence) I want to move out to Cape Town to do post grad- and am worried that itll come up. 
I spoke to those who deal with the certificates you need and they say that South Africa are okay with small mistakes- its not a conviction (which they ask you to declare on the visa forms). 
Did you manage to move out there? I would like to know as google isnt coming up with anything useful!


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## keepyourpeace (Jun 28, 2011)

Hi-
sorry could not work out how to reply to the message. Thankyou for your advice and am glad you have gone out there- so hopefully I will face no problems too. Just to clarify, what came up on your police clearance certificate?


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