When did Melania Trump first enter the United States and on what visa?
Executive summary
Public reporting establishes that Melania Trump first began working in the United States as a model in the mid‑1990s and later obtained permanent resident status through the EB‑1 “extraordinary ability” green‑card category around 2001; contemporaneous accounts say she began applying for that employment‑based route in 2000 [1] [2]. The precise sequence of her earliest entries and which nonimmigrant visas she used in 1996–1997 is disputed in reporting: some outlets say she entered on a B1/B2 visitor stamp and later had H‑1B work authorization in October 1996, while other reporting focuses on the EB‑1 green card as the documented path to permanent residency [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. How contemporary news reported her arrival: modeling in the U.S. before a green card
Investigative reporting in 2016 and later established that Melania Knauss worked as a model in the United States in the mid‑1990s and was paid for modeling jobs in the weeks before she had formal work authorization; The Associated Press and PBS reported she was paid for 10 modeling jobs worth roughly $20,056 during a seven‑week span before legal permission to work was in place [5]. Those accounts created the central factual frame: she was modeling in the U.S. in the mid‑1990s and obtained documented immigration status afterward [5].
2. Visitor vs. H‑1B in 1996: competing narratives
There are competing accounts about Melania’s first entry and immediate visa status. An immigration analysis site and other summaries report she “came to the U.S. originally on a B1/B2 visa in 1996” (visitor/tourist) and later obtained an H‑1B to work as a model in 1996 [3]. Legal commentary published at the time said the Trumps asserted she began H‑1B employment in October 1996 but noted that the documentation for that claim has not been publicly produced, leaving the timeline partly based on statements rather than government records shared with reporters [4]. Available sources do not provide a primary government entry stamp or visa document in the public record here; reporting rests on journalistic investigation and lawyers’ accounts [3] [4] [5].
3. The EB‑1 “Einstein” green card: the documented permanent‑resident route
Multiple outlets reported that Melania later secured an employment‑based EB‑1 green card — the so‑called “Einstein visa” for persons of “extraordinary ability” — with key coverage noting she applied in 2000 and was granted the EB‑1 green card in or around 2001 [1] [2] [6]. Legal commentary and news stories emphasize that the EB‑1 is an elite track designed for people with sustained national or international acclaim, which is why its use by a model attracted scrutiny and follow‑up reporting [1] [2].
4. What reporters and lawyers questioned, and why it matters
Journalists and immigration lawyers asked what evidence was submitted to justify an EB‑1 grant, given that the category is typically associated with Nobel laureates, Olympic medalists or internationally preeminent researchers — raising questions about standards and consistency in adjudication [2] [7]. Some commentators noted that if Melania had performed paid U.S. modeling work before she had work authorization, that would be legally problematic; others pointed out the Trumps’ public statements claiming H‑1B status beginning in October 1996, but also noted the absence of corroborating documents in the public reporting [5] [4].
5. Where reporting disagrees and what remains unknown
Sources disagree on the earliest nonimmigrant visa she used: some reporting says B1/B2 entry in 1996 followed by H‑1B authorization; other reporting emphasizes the EB‑1 green card as the clear documented path to lawful permanent residence in 2001 [3] [4] [6] [2]. Available sources do not mention a contemporaneous government release of her initial visa stamps or USCIS adjudication files in full, so precise day‑by‑day entry records and some documentary evidence remain absent from public reporting [3] [4].
6. Why context and sources matter for interpreting the story
This is a story about migration law, public figures and how discretionary immigration categories are used. Major outlets (BBC, The Washington Post as cited by The Hill and others) focused on the EB‑1 finding because it is the documented mechanism for her green card; investigative pieces by AP/PBS flagged paid modeling before documented authorization, prompting legal analysis and commentary [1] [2] [5]. Readers should weigh three distinct strands in the record: models and payroll ledgers showing U.S. work in 1996 [5], assertions and lawyer statements about H‑1B status beginning October 1996 [4] [3], and reporting that she applied for and received an EB‑1 green card around 2000–2001 [1] [2].
Limitations: All claims above are drawn from the provided reporting; available sources do not include raw immigration files or an official government release of Melania Trump’s early visa stamps, so certain documentary specifics are not available in current reporting [3] [4] [5] [2].