Hi,
I was arrested for a misdemeanor theft charge (shoplifting) in 2013. I was fingerprinted, and I had to go to court. I hired an attorney, who advised me to plead not guilty. Before I hired a lawyer I got a letter from loss and prevention telling me that I had to pay a $150 fine. When I told my attorney about the letter and that I had already paid it, she told me that I was not required to pay that fine. Hence, I didn't have to pay and more fees and I wasn't required to do any community service. I did have to take a responsible thinking class, well, just a part of it because I only had to sit in for one class, and all charges were dropped and the case was dismissed. She further advised me to have the arrest expunged from my record and I did.
I am an international student on an F1 Visa which is about to expire in a few months. I really want to go back to my country and have my visa renewed in order to avoid anymore possible violations. However, I am a bit scared that I will be denied a new visa because of the arrest (even though it was expunged). I was told that I can stay and finish my studies o an expired visa once my I-20 is still valid, however, I want to follow all the rules in order to avoid any complications. Can someone please advice? What are my chances of getting my visa renewed?

