Melania Trump: A First Lady Above The Law?

There have been several instances where Melania Trump has been accused of breaking the law. In 2016, it was revealed that she had accepted 10 modelling jobs in the US before she had legal permission to work in the country. In 2022, she was accused of dishonesty regarding the proceeds of a charity event she hosted, with the promised charity having no record of existence.

Did Melania Trump work illegally in the US?

There is evidence to suggest that Melania Trump worked illegally in the US. In the seven weeks before she had legal permission to work in the country, she was paid for 10 modelling jobs worth $20,056. This was during a time when her visa allowed her to be in the US and look for work, but not carry out paid employment.

Melania Trump, then known as Melanija Knavs, arrived in the US from Slovenia on 27 August 1996, on a B1/B2 visitor visa. She obtained an H-1B work visa on 18 October 1996. However, documents obtained by the Associated Press show that she was paid for 10 modelling assignments between 10 September and 15 October 1996.

A New York immigration lawyer, Michael J. Wildes, who was asked by Trump to review her immigration documents, said that the papers "do not reflect our records including corresponding passport stamps". He did not elaborate further.

It is highly unlikely that this discovery will affect the citizenship status of Mrs Trump. The US government can seek to revoke citizenship in cases where a person has willfully misrepresented or concealed facts relevant to their naturalisation. However, this is only done in the most egregious cases, such as those involving terrorism or war crimes.

Did Melania Trump misrepresent herself to the US government?

There is some controversy surrounding Melania Trump's immigration to the US, and whether she misrepresented herself to the US government.

Melania Trump, originally from Slovenia, first came to the US in 1996 on a tourist visa. She later obtained a string of working visas for skilled immigrants, according to her lawyer. However, there is evidence to suggest that she was paid for 10 modelling jobs in the seven weeks before she had legal permission to work in the country. Ledgers, contracts, and other documents from 20 years ago indicate that she was paid a total of $20,056 for these assignments. This would have been outside the bounds of her initial tourist visa, which allowed her to be in the US and look for work, but not perform paid work.

In her defence, Michael Wildes, Melania Trump's immigration lawyer, confirmed that she went through the correct legal processes to immigrate to the US. He wrote a letter confirming her immigration status, which she tweeted out to her followers. He also represented the Trump family and its businesses for years.

In addition, Melania Trump obtained US citizenship on an EB-1 visa, reserved for immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and "sustained national and international acclaim". This has also sparked controversy, as she was not a top international model at the time, and did not appear to have excelled in a niche area of modelling, nor won awards or had her work written about in significant publications. However, it is worth noting that the EB-1 criteria include coverage in major publications, original and significant contributions to a field, and work displayed at artistic exhibitions.

In conclusion, while there is evidence to suggest that Melania Trump may have misrepresented herself to the US government by working without legal permission, her lawyer has confirmed that she followed the correct legal processes for immigration. The controversy surrounding her EB-1 visa is more a matter of interpretation, as it depends on how one defines a field of modelling in which she could be considered extraordinary.

Did Melania Trump have a visa allowing her to work in the US?

Melania Trump, originally from Slovenia, worked as a model in the US before obtaining a work visa. She arrived in the US on a B1/B2 visitor visa on 27 August 1996, and obtained an H-1B work visa on 18 October 1996. However, detailed accounting ledgers, contracts, and related documents obtained by the Associated Press revealed that she was paid for 10 modelling jobs worth $20,056 before she had legal permission to work in the country. The documents showed that she was paid for these modelling assignments between 10 September and 15 October, during a time when her visa allowed her to be in the US and look for work, but not perform paid work.

Mrs Trump, who became a US citizen in 2006, has always maintained that she arrived in the country legally and never violated the terms of her immigration status. She has cited her story to defend her husband, former US President Donald Trump's hard line on immigration.

In 2000, when she was still known as Melania Knauss, she applied for the EB-1 visa, reserved for immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and "sustained national and international acclaim". She was approved in 2001, becoming one of just five people from Slovenia to win the coveted visa that year. To obtain this visa, an immigrant must provide evidence of a major award or meet three of ten criteria proving excellence in their field.

Did Melania Trump have a temporary work visa?

Melania Trump, wife of former US President Donald Trump, was a Slovenian model who worked in the United States before becoming a naturalized citizen in 2006. She arrived in the US in 1996 on a B1/B2 visitor visa, which did not allow her to work in the country. However, she accepted 10 modelling jobs during this time, earning approximately $20,000.

She then obtained an H-1B work visa on October 18, 1996, allowing her to work in the US. It is unclear whether this was a temporary work visa, but it is a type of visa that allows non-immigrants to work in the US for a specified period.

Melania went on to obtain US citizenship on an EB-1 visa, reserved for immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and "sustained national and international acclaim". She became the first naturalized citizen to become first lady of the United States when her husband was elected president in 2016.

Did Melania Trump have a permanent residency visa?

Melania Trump, originally from Slovenia, immigrated to the United States in 1996. She first arrived on a B1/B2 visitor visa, which allowed her to interview for jobs. She then obtained an H-1B work visa on October 18, 1996, which was specifically for fashion models.

In 2001, she was approved for an EB-1 visa, also known as the "Einstein Visa", which is reserved for immigrants with "extraordinary ability" and "sustained national and international acclaim". This visa granted her permanent residency in the US.

There has been some controversy over whether Melania met the criteria for the EB-1 visa, as she was not a top international model and did not appear to have excelled in a niche area of modelling, nor won awards. However, she did have runway shows in Europe, a billboard ad in Times Square, and a spot in the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.

In 2006, Melania became a naturalized US citizen, and her status as a green card holder allowed her to sponsor her parents' immigration to the US.

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