Melania Trump obtained her US visa in the early 2000s. But the so-called โEinstein visa she received didnโt sit well with everyone. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat, posed a question to the first lady last week, inquiring how Melania might have obtained a visa intended for someone with โextraordinary abilities.โ
But was it right to give Melania the visa or not? Now, fact-checking site Snopes has investigated the matter, and it may not be as controversial as some might think.
In 2000, Melania, then a promising model, applied for a work visa in the US. In the years before, she had been scouted by Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, who helped her apply. He was also the one who introduced Melania to Trump.
She had been in the US since 1996, initially holding a tourist visa and later obtaining a series of work visas, her attorney said, according toย Newsweek.
In 2001, Melania Trump obtained the EB-1 Visa, also known as the โEinstein visa.โ Per the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website, an individual may be eligible for the visa if โyou are an alien of extraordinary ability, are an outstanding professor or researcher, or are a certain multinational executive or manager.โ
The government cites Pulitzer Prize, Oscar, and Olympic winners, as well as other highly acclaimed individuals, as examples of those who have obtained the visa. Several requirements must be met for a person to be eligible for the โEinstein Visa.โ
Congresswoman questioned how Melania Trump received her US visa
Since Melania obtained just that visa, one congresswoman recently questioned how she received it in the first place. Last week, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat, took aim at the first lady during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
โWhy arenโt we talking about integrity when it comes to the presidentโs familyโs visas?โ Jasmine Crockett asked. โLet me tell you how you receive an Einstein visa. Youโre supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medalist, or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics. Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt.โ
โMelania, the first lady, a modelโand when I say model, Iโm not talking about Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, orย Naomi Campbell-levelโapplied for and was given an EB1 visa,โ she continued. It doesnโt take an Einstein to see that the math ainโt mathinโ here.โ
Jasmine Crockettโs words on Melania Trump left some furious as they disagreed with her. Melaniaโs status as an American citizen โ or whether she was even entitled to a visa โ has been raised several times. But perhaps it can be settled now. Fact-checking website Snopes has looked into the matter, and it turns out that it might not have been that strange that Melania obtained the โEinstein visa:โ
Fact-checking website says Melania โcould have beenโ qualified for โEinstenโ visa
While the site hasnโt been able to confirm whether Melania Trump actually received the EB-1 visa, they have been able to find other individuals in the modeling business who received a visa, either the EB-1 or the O-1, which requires extraordinary abilities.
Both the EB-1 and the O-1 visas require the applicant to demonstrate extraordinary abilities. Snopes reported, โTrump belonged to neither of the latter two categories, so if she obtained an EB-1 visa, it was under the first category: people with extraordinary abilities.โ
โIn fact, models can qualify for thisย visaย under certain conditions. The EB-1 immigrant visa is by no means the only visaย a model or performerย can applyย for toย work in the U.S. Others are theย O-1A or O-1Bย visas, which are nonimmigrant visasย validย for three years. For example, the comedianย John Oliver came to the U.S.ย on an O-1ย visa,ย which he had to renew several times before obtaining permanent residency. The former Playboy modelย Shera Bechardย also obtained this temporary โgeniusโ visa,โ it continued.
โIn sum, it is not improbable that a working modelย mightย have received the right to permanently reside in the U.S. based on her extraordinary abilities,โ Snopes concluded.
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