we're applying for myself and my daughter to move to the US to be with my husband.
my daughters birth father (not my husband) is a criminal, has been in jail a few times on various charges - burglary, robbery, firearms and drugs. We don't have much to do with him anymore and haven't seen or heard from in 7 months and right now I don't even know where in the world he is. (I was only a teenager when I had my daughter to him - 18 yrs old I fell for a rebel, more fool me)
Myself and my husband are both law abiding people with no criminal records or anything, but will my daughters fathers record have any bearing on our chances of being approved to immigrate to the US?

I would certainly hope that this is one of those situation where the sins of the father do not fall to the children...

Correct, what a parent or relative does has nothing to do with a person's visa application. The consular officer will not deny a visa application because of a parent's wrong doing.

I ALSO AGREE!

Thanks all. I really hope that is the case, she is such a wonderful kid and she's already paid the price for her father being an a******. She is SO looking forward to moving to the US to live with her step dad and I would hate to see her be disappointed yet again because of her father ... not to mention my disappointment.

NO. Previous spouses activities (if criminal) are not an influence on your application. But if he was a political/religious terrorist, then you would be scruntinized.

Unless the wrong doing was related to visa fraud but then only if there's reason to suspect the fraud involves the beneficiary(s) in the instant case.