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Prince Harry could have escaped question about his drug use by entering the United States on an ‘A-1 Head of State’ visa.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, London-based US Immigration lawyer Melissa Chavin reflected on the possibility of the Duke of Sussex holding the aforementioned visa, owing to his status as part of the royal family.
She claimed applicants are only investigated for espionage, terrorism and activities contrary to US foreign policy, during the early stages.
They are not vetted for drug use, hence saving Harry a fall from grace due to his admission about substance use in his memoir, Spare, released last year.
“It’s just extremely special,” Chavin told the outlet. “And the security check is not the same. It’s a lower security check.
“It’s a visa especially for members of royal families. For an A-1 Head of State visa, the security and background check questions are not the same as for most visa applicants,” the attorney explained.
For the unversed, the youngest son of King Charles is currently in legal battle in US court against conservative think-tank over being allowed to stay in the country following his admission to drug use in the book.
In the most recent hearing, The judge in the Freedom of Information case, Judge Carl Nichols, ordered the DHS to hand over paperwork to do with the Duke’s immigration status for him to review.
At a hearing in Washington in February, Judge Nichols and John Bardo, the lawyer for the DHS, expressed possibility of Harry possessing a diplomatic visa, arguing: “He is still a member of the British royal family. He has the title, Duke of Sussex.”
