Prince Harry’s US visa status is reportedly being questioned following his admission to using drugs in his memoir, Spare. One argument posits that the Duke’s visa should have been revoked as there is “no exception for royalty.”
Harry admitted to using cocaine, weed, and mushrooms, in his memoir and interviews. In a chat with trauma expert Gabor Maté, the Prince said hallucinogenic drugs are “fundamental” in his life. He moved to America with his family in 2020 and doesn’t plan to “seek a permanent US residency” soon.
Read on to find out more.
Lawyers Are Debating On Prince Harry’s Visa Status
Former Federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani is one of the multiple lawyers who recently spoke to Page Six about the possibility of Prince Harry’s admission to using drugs affecting his visa to stay in America. He said, “An admission of drug use is usually grounds for inadmissibility.”
Rahmani continued, “That means Prince Harry’s visa should have been denied or revoked because he admitted to using cocaine, mushrooms and other drugs.” He insisted that there should be “no exception for royalty or recreational use.”
Attorney James Leonard, who famously represented reality star Joe Giudice in his immigration case, disagreed with Rahmani’s statement that Harry’s visa is at any real risk. He explained that the Royal has no “criminal charge related to drugs or alcohol” and is clearly not a “habitual drug user.”
Prince Harry Admitted To Using Various Drugs
In Harry’s recently released memoir, Spare, he admitted that he used to drink heavily and used weed and cocaine multiple times in the past. During an online interview with trauma expert Gabor Maté, Harry said hallucinogenic drugs are a “fundamental” part of his adult life.
He stated, “It was the cleaning of the windscreen, the removal of life’s filters — these layers of filters — it removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, relief, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold back for a period of time.”
The Duke of Sussex explained that he only ever did cocaine as a teenager and said it was a social thing that “wasn’t much fun.” However, about weed, Harry said he “started doing it recreationally and then started to realize how good it was for me,” so it’s still present in his life.
It’s Unlikely His Visa Will Be Affected
Attorney Leonard explained to Page Six that normally, all drug users have to raise certain red flags to make immigration officials investigate their status. He said, “You’ve got to give them something that would trigger it, and revealing it in a book, that you experimented with drugs when you were a young man, I don’t think gets you there.”
Sam Adair, another immigration lawyer and specialist with decades of experience, also agrees that it’s unlikely Harry’s drug admissions will “present a problem.” He said, “If there had been a conviction, it would have likely been a significant issue in getting a visa.”
Adair also added that usually, drug use could still be an issue in many cases, but “in this circumstance, it is unlikely that this would present an issue.” Despite the contrary opinions, Rahmani insisted that there’s no specific “requirement that the person actually be convicted of a drug offense.”
Prince Harry Moved To America With His Family
Prince Harry moved to America with his wife, Duchess Meghan Markle, and their young son, Prince Archie, in 2020. The move came after the couple quit their roles as senior officials in the British Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan now live in an £11 million mansion in Santa Barbara with their son and daughter, Princess Lilibet. In 2021, a source claimed to The Times that Harry has made no plans to obtain US citizenship, permanent residency, or a “green card at any point.”
If any issues do come up with Harry’s visa, another immigration attorney has told Page Six that Markle, a US citizen by birth, can sponsor her husband. One method could be through the O-1 visa, which is already used by non-American celebrities like Justin Bieber and Rachel McAdams.
