One of the reasons why I’ve always been a huge fan of the “Prince Harry and Meghan bought a luxury villa in Portugal” storyline is that it showed that they were forming a backup plan in case anything went sideways with Harry’s US visa. We still don’t know his exact immigration status in the US, other than he’s said he’s considered applying for citizenship (but has not done it) and the Heritage Foundation has been trying to get their hands on his visa records for years. Well, now with the Sussexes’ return to the UK, people are asking if part of the reason for the move was to do with Harry’s visa and/or immigration status. Instead of just using the Portugal property for a backup plan/potential visa, Rob Shuter claims that the Sussex Return has something to do with Harry’s immigration status in America.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say their return to Britain is about family and giving Archie and Lilibet a British education. But sources tell Naughty But Nice there may be another factor making the move increasingly attractive: Harry’s unresolved U.S. immigration controversy.
“The visa issue has become a cloud Harry simply cannot control,” a source tells Naughty But Nice. “As long as people are fighting to see those records, there’s uncertainty. Establishing a life in Britain gives him something America currently doesn’t — certainty.”
The controversy centers on Harry’s public admissions of past drug use and questions about what he disclosed on his U.S. immigration paperwork. Harry’s representatives have maintained that he was truthful, and there has been no public finding that he lied on any application. Still, the questions haven’t vanished.
The Heritage Foundation has pursued Harry’s immigration records through the courts, arguing the public deserves to know whether the Duke received special treatment. Heritage Foundation director Nile Gardiner is now publicly questioning whether Harry’s return could be connected to the continuing controversy.
Sources stress that Meghan’s professional ambitions and Harry’s desire to reconnect with his family are genuine motivations. But the immigration fight has added another incentive.
“Harry isn’t necessarily running from America,” an insider tells Naughty But Nice. “He’s making sure America can never leave him without options. Britain is his insurance policy.”
The thing is, I actually believe that there could be a complicated residency/visa issue which we just aren’t seeing or hearing about at this moment. I just don’t believe that it has anything to do with Heritage and their stupid lawsuits, all of which have been dismissed. Even Donald Trump, who is no Sussex supporter, said that he has no desire to deport Harry or anything like that. So, is the Sussex Return about Harry wanting a backup plan? Possibly. But then what was the Portuguese villa if not a (much safer) foothold in Europe and a backup plan for the possibility that things could go t-ts up in California?
Photos courtesy of Meghan’s Instagram.
Given the current state of geopolitical turmoil, UK passports as well as EU passports may come in very handy. H and M aren’t just thinking of themselves but of their children’s futures as well. We are in a period of extreme instability and nothing about the future is certain, best to keep every option you have.
My family applied for, and just got finalized, dual EU citizenship passports “just in case”. It is something that everyone who can, and is eligible to do so (through parents/grandparents) should consider. Not that there is anywhere where it’s all sunshine and rainbows, but it feels safer to have an option to be able to get out if needed. Granted, it’s not cheap (I think all told, with fees, and the agency we hired to get our paperwork through, etc) it was close to $5k, and since we started just before Covid, we had quite a delay (with backlogs), but we just went to the embassy for our final paperwork.
We just finalized my adoption of my stepdaughter so we can use my Italian citizenship as a backup plan. Of course Europe has its share of right wingers, but at least most of them don’t seem to be literally demented malignant narcissists.
I think that was a huge deciding factor especially with PH having ties to England and NATO when the states seem to be torching all our allies no matter how good the relationships have been for decades… no matter what PH and his children are top tier in the los at least until George starts having children.. so who knows what really happened before this decision was made but I do believe it is more complicated than just PH being homesick, because I just don’t believe that at all.
we still don’t even know if they ever bought a villa in portugal, do we? they nor their comms. team has ever confirmed that. it’s the tabs who make it seem like it’s a given/true.
💯, elx. Also, Trump may not be inclined to have Harry deported but ICE sure as heck could (and Trump, likely, wouldn’t interfere). Aren’t they now deporting some permanent legal residents?
I think it’s simply he wants his kids to be raised in Britain and to have what he sees as a better education. Visas had nothing to do with it and why in the world would Heritage even be a thing when every judge said no to their dumb request.
And the downsizing of Archwell, other endeavours, why the podcast and Netflix show were dropped just make more sense that they are moving away with them going to the States for holidays.
I confirm I was Rob Shuter’s “source”, using my insider knowledge of Harry’s visa situation.
aka… he’s just pulled this one out of his rear end. Yup, another one!
Yes, I think it is just stirring as well.
A wealthy white man married to an American citizen is not having visa problems.
A lot of prominent Americans have decamped to Europe. They seem to know something we don’t.
particularly one who is the son of a head of state, see numerous Saudi princes and princesses who live, work and study in the US for extended periods.
don’t forget that Scammy’s niece is an immigration lawyer and she’s close with Meghan. No doubt she knows who to talk to.
She’s not Samantha’s niece, she’s her biological daughter, raised by her paternal grandparents. She’s Meghan’s niece.
Yeah no one who has any knowledge of Harry’s immigration status is talking to Rob Shuter.
People have said that it’s harder now to establish Portuguese citizenship than it was even 5 years ago, so that may be part of it. If they want a foothold outside of the US for whatever reason (immigration, taxes, political turmoil etc) England makes sense as an easy place to start.
Non american here. I disagree with visa especially someone like prince harry. Also I don’t know why everyone thinking europe is safe? Europe is increasingly elected right wing fascist and atleast in usa you guys have states right and federal government can’t impose but that’s not the case in Europe. Plus anyi immigration party winning in all over Europe . The only wealthy WHITE AMERICAN are going back because of their ancestral country . Plus it’s also easy like harry and many hollywood celebs using their WHITE ancestors to go back to Europe.
It’s interesting when sh£t hit the fan only black american , other poc will stand in fight for America and rest of whites run away.
Yeah I kept seeing people say that yesterday and was like, have you been reading the news?
Yes as non american . We get news from all over the world. Plus as Indian we have many relatives living in all over the world. American are so used to hear how much racist america is but they forget European news totally won’t cover their racism or racist system. The professor died is one of the example. All the European countries if you pay attention you can clearly see so much anti poc and immigration and cost of living etc. it’s harder to get buy a house in some European countries especially where one of cousin who works in bank in Swiss , he couldn’t get citizenship because his neighbour has say in it. She and her white husband simply said there are too many poc that’s it and he got denied his citizenship. Imagine that’s happening is usa?
Can someone please answer this, so what would Meghans status be in the UK? I have never heard anything surprisingly ,about her status and being ran out of UK because of visa issues!?
Meghan is a princess of the United Kingdom, so she is entitled to live here. Her children obviously also are prince and princess, and it would take an act of parliament to change any of that. As a brit I wish them well and hope they will be safe and happy here.
She may get family visa via harry.
Sonya, the Sussexes could easily invest $500,000 in the Portuguese economy if they wanted to–no problem.
My son’s father-in-law is getting his EU citizenship or might have already gotten it. His wife (and therefore him) are both eligible too, because her late grandfather was born in Germany and immigrated to the US in his teens in the late 1930s. I have no such option but I’m glad he does. Not that any of them intend to move.
Yeah Rob Shuter is just throwing out things and hoping something sticks. Harry has been in and out of the US with no problem.
Its difficult to obtain a residency visa in Portugal without working there. For their Golden Visa, one would have to invest $500K into their economy.
There are no reason for a problem with Harry’s visa. This is not even his fight. It’s between heritage foundation and the US govt.
This is a typical action to create chaos. Harry was never involved nor ask to submit more.
The Heritage Foundation lawsuit is full of crap.
Admissions of past drug use for which no criminal penalties were incurred will not necessarily bar someone from getting a US nonimmigrant visa nor an immigrant visa (“green card”). If a person has actual drug convictions or has been treated for addiction, that’s when things get complicated. However, acts that occurred under the age of 18 – juvenile offenses – generally are waived unless adult criminal penalties attached. Plus, I am not sure what level of diplomatic immunity Harry had as the grandson of the Queen and now son of the King, but if he had diplomatic immunity when his alleged drug use occurred, that would also factor in any USCIS determination.
As the spouse of a US citizen, Harry was entitled to seek a green card as an immediate relative. Given his various interests, it seems unlikely he obtained a nonimmigrant work visa since the most likely ones permit him to work for one employer only. I doubt he ever seriously considered US citizenship as it would require him to renounce his titles and any diplomatic immunity he still has.
My suspicion? They saw the writing on the wall. No one, not even legal immigrants, is safe in the US. Even though he is high profile, that does not mean this administration cannot arrest him and throw him into BS removal proceedings; they have done it to plenty of other less well known people even though odds are the government cannot win the cases. The most likely time to nab him would be upon his return from an overseas trip, and he has essentially no constitutional rights in the airport before clearing US immigration. Did something happen with CBP on a prior return? Who knows? Diplomatic immunity protects people from prosecution for crimes, but it does not guarantee admission into the US.
If I were him, I would also return to the UK (or live elsewhere) until Mango Mussolini is out of office. He can always get another green card in the future by virtue of being Meghan’s husband. Better safe than sorry!
Nice to see you again @BCL. Thanks for your perspective.
In my opinion The Heritage Foundation is pure, unadulterated evil.
That’s not an opinion. That’s fact.
Naughty but Nice? What a credible news source!! It must be the paper of record for Unicornlandia.
When he first went to California, I believe Harry was eligible for an A1 visa as the son/grandson of a monarch. The requirements for the A1 visa have tightened to the monarch’s immediate unmarried family up to a certain age. On his own, Harry does not represent the British government in any diplomatic capacity. Harry could apply for one of the other visa categories, but regular questioning (including drug use) would apply. This is a round-about way of saying a visa could have been a factor.
Same way our FLOTUS has significant issues re: her green card too. But there are workaround these matters. Just like currently there are workarounds for people with legal and valid immigration status, with no criminal record.
Point is you can be squeaky clean, have legal status and still get tossed in jail and deported without due process these days. You can also be very guilty, convicted, and get a presidential pardon and get out of jail and go on to commit more crime.
This is the status quo right now.
I don’t think anyone from ICE is about to nab Harry. LOL. I know it is no laughing matter but seriously, I don’t think this move has to do with anything going on in the US, no matter how dire and desperate the situation with ICE is. And it is horrific. But Harry is certainly entitled to a green card as the spouse of a US citizen and there are several tiers of eligibility, BetterUp could sponsor him for a work visa, for instance, or Netflix, obviously, and I suspect he entered the country with some type of diplomatic status as a member of the BRF. I think the issue is that at some point assets / property / accounts overseas become susceptible to IRS declarations and tax and that if you want to keep your finances out of the US, in part, you need to spend some time overseas, not a token visit, but a 6-month minimum span. For most people that isn’t very practical as they have jobs. And it’s not a very common dilemma because most people moving countries are doing it in search of better work and opportunities, so, they either lump in their capital with their US assets and just pay the resulting tax, or liquidate their assets overseas and use them to fund their move to the US, or buy property in the US. But it’s a transfer of wealth, because they’re not going back and forth. Most people move in one direction, only. I suspect if there is an ulterior motive it has to do with property / accounts that are in the UK, and also, Invictus. I seriously suspect that Harry wants to be on the ground, in Birmingham, for the whole run-up to the Games, in case his father should not make it to the opening ceremony. Because you know William will move heaven and earth to keep his brother out of the country if Charles isn’t around when the Games are set to get underway.
I don’t believe that Harry’s immigration status had anything to do with this. He’s married to a US citizen, was living in the United States. It takes time, yes. But with his money and the strings they could pull, I just do not believe this was an issue
Yeah, tell that to all of the legal resident spouses of US citizens that have been deported.
Something tells me Harry would not be treated the same way.