As the country grapples with COVID-19 and the national lockdown implemented to mitigate the effects, a grim reality is that many South Africans will be left unemployed as a result thereof, and some will also be dealing with a criminal record from breaking lockdown regulations.
What the public might not be aware of is the negative impact that a criminal record will have on their future employment prospects, ability to obtain visa’s, or to obtain documentation allowing them to emigrate to another country.
A criminal record impacts employment opportunities
From being found guilty before a court of law to paying an admission of guilt fine, these can all result in a permanent criminal record leading to an inevitable struggle when having to apply for employment.
In the legal profession alone, many prospective employers refer to a candidate employee’s criminal record before making a final decision on the appointment.
Getting a criminal record expunged
A criminal record is not, however, set in stone and can, in respect of certain offences, be expunged. Expungement is the process of erasing a criminal record of a convicted offender from the criminal record database of the Criminal Record Centre of the South African Police Service.
This will then allow a person to carry on with life without a criminal record being an obstruction to his or her employment opportunities, or to their travel and emigration needs. Once your record has been expunged, it will be as if you were never found guilty at all.
Speak to a criminal law expert
Our Criminal Law attorneys are standing by to assist you in removing a criminal record thereby giving you a greater opportunity of securing employment and/or obtaining travel visa’s and documentation where required.
