Was Melania Trump granted a green card or permanent residency before marrying Donald Trump?

1. Arrival as a model: temporary visas, not immediate residency

Contemporary reporting and biographies agree Melania Knauss came to the United States in 1996 initially on a tourist visa and later worked under a series of work visas as a professional model in New York — not as a permanent resident on arrival ^{[1] [6]}. Sources describe a shift from visitor status to employment‑based visas during the late 1990s, which is consistent with the career path of an international model working in the U.S. market ^{[1] [6]}.

2. The 2001 green card: EB‑1 “extraordinary ability,” per reporting

Multiple outlets reported that Melania was granted permanent resident status in 2001 via the EB‑1 employment‑based category for individuals of “extraordinary ability.” The Washington Post first reported that claim and was cited by other media; The Hill and BBC summaries recount that timeline and the EB‑1 characterization ^{[2] [1]}. Immigration‑focused writeups and law‑firm commentary repeat the same chronology: work visas in the late 1990s, EB‑1 application around 2000, green card granted in 2001 ^{[5] [3]}.

3. Timing matters: green card before marriage

Public reporting places the green card grant in 2001 and Melania’s marriage to Donald Trump in 2005, which means the green card preceded the marriage according to available accounts ^{[2] [4]}. That sequence is central to discussions about whether she obtained residency through employment credentials rather than spousal sponsorship ^{[2] [5]}.

4. Points of dispute and missing records

Despite consistent media summaries, reporters and lawyers note that full immigration files have not been publicly released and that Melania and campaign representatives have declined to publish all documentation; that omission fuels ongoing questions about exact visa categories, application dates, and whether any other factors played a role ^{[4] [5]}. Law‑firm commentary defends the EB‑1 route as plausible and lawful while acknowledging the public record is incomplete ^[5].

5. Why EB‑1 draws scrutiny and what it actually is

The EB‑1 class is an employment‑based path for people with “extraordinary ability” in fields such as the arts, sciences or business; it does not require employer sponsorship if the applicant can self‑petiton under certain evidence standards. Critics flagged the EB‑1 designation because it is a high‑tier category usually used by academics, executives and elite artists; defenders point out models with sustained international profiles can meet the criteria ^{[2] [5]}.

6. Competing narratives and political context

Reporting shows the story has been politicized: critics highlight any ambiguity as politically sensitive given President Trump’s immigration rhetoric, while defenders and immigration lawyers stress that available accounts show Melania followed an employment‑based path to residency years before marriage ^{[4] [5]}. Media outlets and legal analysts present both the factual timeline (arrival, work visas, EB‑1 green card in 2001, naturalization in 2006) and the gaps that keep controversy alive ^{[1] [2] [7]}.

7. What the sources do and do not say

The supplied reporting states Melania obtained a green card in 2001 through the EB‑1 program and became a U.S. citizen later (naturalized in 2006 is noted in some pieces) ^{[2] [7] [6]}. Available sources do not mention the complete public release of her immigration files or provide independent documentary proof published in full — they rely on reporting, statements from lawyers, and summaries of filings ^{[4] [5]}.

8. Bottom line for readers

Based on the reporting compiled by major outlets and immigration analysts, Melania Trump received lawful permanent resident status in 2001 via an EB‑1 employment category — years before her 2005 marriage to Donald Trump — but the absence of full, publicly released immigration records leaves some specific procedural details unconfirmed in available reporting ^{[1] [2] [5]}.