Melania Trump's EB-1 Visa Questioned Amid Crackdown On Immigrants: 'First Lady Had None...'

Last Updated:June 27, 2025, 22:50 IST

Melania Trump was Donald Trump's girlfriend when her EB-1 visa was approved. Though she is a US citizen now, her visa approval in 2001 was questioned in House Judiciary Committee.

Melania Trump's EB-1 visa questioned (AP Image)

Amid Donald Trump’s stringent immigration policies, criticism has now reached his doorstep as Jasmine Crockett, a Democratic Congresswoman, questioned why First Lady Melania Trump – an immigrant herself – was given an EB-1 visa back in 2001, despite not having “significant achievements" in any field.

Crockett questioned why the issue isn’t being raised “when it comes to the president’s family’s visas". She voiced her sharp opinion that she should not have been given the EB-1 visa.

Her remarks came during a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

“The first lady, a model, and when I say model, I’m not talking about Tyra Banks, Cindy Crawford, or Naomi Campbell-level, applied for and was given an EB-1 visa," she said.

The EB-1 visa, often called the “Einstein Visa," is for people with outstanding talent or achievements. The government says this includes winners of awards like the Pulitzer, Oscar, or Olympic medals, as well as top researchers and executives from big international companies.

Melania applied for the visa in 2000, when she was not married to Donald Trump and was only his girlfriend. She was then known as Melania Knauss, a Slovenian model who worked in New York. She got the EB-1 visa in 2001 and became a citizen in 2006. She got the right to sponsor her parents after that.

“Let me tell you how you receive an Einstein visa. You’re supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer, being an Olympic medallist, or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics," Crockett pointed out.

“Last time I checked, the first lady had none of those accolades under her belt. It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that the math ain’t mathin here," she added.

She also raised questions on Donald Trump: “Why aren’t we talking about integrity when it comes to the president’s family’s visas?"

Crockett criticised the US immigration approach, saying people are being arrested even at visa or citizenship appointments. She called Republican claims of restoring integrity a “joke," adding that real integrity isn’t detaining legal visa holders or cancelling visas over social media posts.

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

News world Melania Trump's EB-1 Visa Questioned Amid Crackdown On Immigrants: 'First Lady Had None...'