Did Melania Trump use a fiancée (K-1) visa or another visa to enter the U.S.?

1. Arrival on a visitor visa, then an H‑1B for modeling

Contemporary accounts and immigration‑law summaries say Melania Knauss entered the U.S. in 1996 on a B‑1/B‑2 visitor visa and did not initially possess work authorization; she was later approved in October 1996 for an H‑1B in the narrow “fashion model” category that permits noncitizens to work in modeling ^{[1] [2]}. News outlets that have revisited the record cite the October 1996 H‑1B date as the Trump camp’s account and note AP reporting that she modeled in the U.S. before the work visa was in place ^{[6] [7]}.

2. The EB‑1 “Einstein” green card: self‑sponsorship or attorney strategy?

Public reporting and legal commentary state Melania applied for and received an EB‑1 immigrant visa — the so‑called “Einstein visa” for persons of extraordinary ability — with approval logged in 2001, giving her a pathway to permanent residency and later citizenship ^{[3] [1]}. Immigration lawyers quoted in reporting say experienced counsel can frame applicants’ records to meet EB‑1 evidentiary criteria, and existing coverage notes the Trump family did not release full immigration records, leaving the precise contents of her petition undisclosed ^{[3] [1]}.

3. Why the EB‑1 award drew political scrutiny

Members of Congress and commentators have challenged whether Melania’s modeling career met the EB‑1 threshold of “sustained national or international acclaim,” pointing out that EB‑1 is typically associated with Nobel, Olympic or equivalent achievements ^{[4] [3]}. Representative Jasmine Crockett raised the question in a House Judiciary hearing, and critics argue Melania’s public profile did not obviously match the elite intent of the category ^{[4] [5]}.

4. Competing framings: technical legality vs. perceived fairness

Supporters of Melania’s case — and immigration experts quoted in the press — stress that EB‑1 approvals can rest on a range of documentary evidence and that immigration attorneys know how to present cases that meet USCIS standards; some commentators point out other models and niche artists have received EB‑1 grants, illustrating precedent ^{[1] [5]}. Critics frame the matter as an optics and fairness problem: a political family member obtaining a high‑tier immigrant benefit amid debates over stricter rules for other applicants ^{[5] [4]}.

5. What the sources do not resolve

Available sources do not publish the full USCIS adjudication file or the exact evidence Melania submitted for the EB‑1, so the factual record about the petition’s contents and the government’s rationale is incomplete ^{[3] [1]}. Public accounts rely on summaries, legal analysis, congressional questioning and reporting by news organizations rather than a declassified agency decision document ^{[3] [4]}.

6. Broader implications: policy, precedent and politics

The episode has become a proxy debate about how narrowly or broadly elite immigration categories should be interpreted, and whether privileged applicants benefit from legal strategy and influence — a theme highlighted by news outlets and legal commentators drawing comparisons to other EB‑1 recipients and stressing the small number of EB‑1 awards to Slovenians in 2001 ^{[5] [4]}. That political context explains why the visa history attracts sustained attention even though no public enforcement action against her immigration status is reported in these sources ^{[8] [4]}.

7. Bottom line for your question

On the evidence available in public reporting: Melania Trump entered the U.S. initially on a visitor (B‑1/B‑2) visa, obtained an H‑1B work visa for fashion modeling in October 1996, and later secured an EB‑1 employment‑based green card in 2001; she did not enter on a K‑1 fiancée visa according to the sourced accounts ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Limitations: reporting summarized here does not include the original USCIS files or the full petition documentation, which the Trump family has not released publicly ^{[3] [1]}.