Crimes of Moral Turpitude and a residency application?

My wife is from El Salvador. She left last February to return for her emby interview regarding our application for residency. When we left we knew she would need to file an I 601 and a hardship waiver proving why I could not live in El Salvador. Turns out she has a shoplifting problem. The hardship problem seemed simple. My lawyer claims she will now also need an Criminal Pardon. 2 shoplifting tickets in 13 months. My lawyer also claims odds of her being approved have dropped significantly due to the second shoplifting conviction in 13 months. Do I bother spending the money for a hardship pardon? And if my lawyer is correct a criminal pardon? Is she likely to be approved or disapproved? Any thoughts are appreciated.