NLV application

As far as I know, a Category A caution steps down after 10yrs. You would need to contact a lawyer if there are grounds to request extinction

It may depend on what the Class A caution was for and whether it has to be declared as part of the NLV application.

From what I've seen, a single caution does not automatically mean a visa will be refused. The Spanish authorities usually look at the nature of the offence, how long ago it occurred, and whether there is a pattern of criminal behaviour.

If it was a minor, non-violent matter from 2021 and there have been no further incidents, it may not be a problem. However, if the application requires disclosure, it's always best to be honest and provide any requested documentation.

Hopefully someone who has been through the NLV process with a similar situation can share their personal experience.

@Amanda stabler A caution on its own doesn't sink it. The rules are explicit about this: something turning up on the police check is not automatically a reason to refuse. They have to look at the individual case and decide whether the person actually poses a threat to public order, rather than refusing because a record exists.

It's also worth knowing how that check happens, because it isn't what most people picture. The immigration office pulls the Spanish criminal records report and a police report on the applicant itself, off its own bat, and they come back within about a week. It isn't something your partner submits or can tidy up beforehand.

So the preparation that helps isn't hoping it stays hidden. It's being able to account for it in two lines if anyone asks: what it was, that it was 2021, and that nothing has happened since. One old caution followed by a clean run is precisely the kind of case that individual assessment exists to let through.