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[encouraging]

Greeings forumites:

To be brief: MY SO was convicted of a felony drug charge (possession) during her late teens.  Fast forward 15 years: She is receiving her PhD in a STEM field and has had no infractions with the law since her initial indiscretion.  She is an very viable candidate to receive a prestigious postdoc with a highly regarded international university.  She is ecstatic about the idea of moving to this university & country.  Potential problem: In order to receive a residence visa, this country requires an official certification of good conduct/criminal record check from a U.S. law enforcement agency.  Her previous record is sure to come up, but will it eliminate her chances of receiving this postdoc?  If anyone has any knowledge of a situation such as this, I would appreciate your opinion. 

[chicagored]

I would try to get it expunged if state law allows.

[chaosbydesign]

The question is not whether or not she can do the postdoc, but whether or not she can get a visa, which are two entirely different things. You need to contact whichever embassy will be issuing the visa and find out what the laws regarding criminal records when applying for visas are in the country the postdoc position is in.

[dlafky]

If she was under 18 when it happened, then in many jurisdictions, the record would be sealed anyway and it would be as if it never happened.

[kron3007]

Can you file for a pardon?  If this is a possibility make sure to do it before the background check (obvious I know).  I mention this because a relative of mine had a background check done by the USA and a decades old charge came up and they were denied access.  Fastforward many years, our government granted a pardon and there is no longer any record of it in our country, but the USA has its own records and will not grant access to the country.  The USA is very strict (too strict IMO) about this, but regardles of where you are moving you need to make sure to step wisely in this situation.