In any kind of law and in any country that you reside, shoplifting or theft is an offense that has certain grave consequences. Some countries may be less rigorous when dealing with shoplifting but there are other countries that have stricter laws and rules pertaining to this case. Shoplifting also has immigration consequences. In some cases, your visa may be revoked, whether immigrant or non-immigrant. Below are some of the consequences that can cause you a lot of problems.

Immigration takes shoplifting very seriously. Even if for a small amount, if you are caught in the act of shoplifting, it can greatly affect your status in certain countries. Take for example in the United States, the Immigration Law sees shoplifting as a “crime involving moral turpitude”. It is considered defraud and can bring about serious immigration consequences.

According to the United States Immigration Law, an alien can be deported if the alien is convicted of a crime that involves moral turpitude within five years of having legally entered the country or having been issued a legal permanent resident status. Shoplifting, as mentioned earlier is a moral turpitude. Therefore if you have only been in the US for less than five years, or it has not been 10 years since the approval of your permanent residence status, then you can be deported. However, if the maximum period of imprisonment is less than a year, then this should have no bearing. However, there are some states that treat theft more seriously, with the minimum term of incarceration of at least a year.

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