Two decades after entering the U.S. on a visa reserved for people with “extraordinary abilities,” Melania Trump’s path to permanent residency is under renewed scrutiny. During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Jasmine Crockett questioned whether Melania’s modeling career truly met the high EB-1 visa standards—typically granted to Nobel laureates, Olympians, or Pulitzer winners.
Fact-checkers note that while Melania’s exact case remains private, models and entertainers have qualified for similar visas before, meaning her green card under EB-1 is not necessarily unusual. Critics, however, argue that her accolades don’t match the visa’s prestige.
The debate highlights broader questions about U.S. immigration policies and who gains access to the system’s most exclusive pathways—but legally, Melania may have followed the rules.
