Immigration lawyers warns Prince Harry likely to ‘never’ get US citizenship after drugs admission

An immigration lawyer has warned that “without exceptional circumstances”, the Duke of Sussexes’ plans in the US could be scuppered by his drugs admission.

Prince Harry may never get a Green Card or US citizenship after admitting to taking illegal drugs, an immigration lawyer says.

The spare heir was facing questions over whether he lied to enter the US after admitting to drug use in his memoir after a government oversight group launched a legal challenge to obtain his visa application.

While it is currently unknown which immigration visa Prince Harry used to enter the US, his revelations of cocaine, magic mushroom and marijuana use could put his legal status in the country at risk if they were not declared to the Department of Homeland Security.

Solicitor Kaitlin Davies, from Davies Legal told The Sun: “Without exceptional circumstances, Harry would likely never be able to hold a Green Card or become a US citizen if he formally admits to using cocaine.”

She said while the royal’s admissions in his book Spare would not be considered “formal” as they were not made under oath, they could be by questioning him at an official interview.

“If the prince admitted to any immigration officer that he had previously used illegal drugs, he would be deemed ineligible for a visa,” she said.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle faced criticism after urging Americans to register to vote in US elections. Picture: Supplied

A new report, however, claims that Prince Harry was “truthful” on his visa application, suggesting he did disclose his drug use to immigration authorities before fleeing his home country in 2020.

Quoting sources “close to the Duke”, the UK’s Telegraph reported that Prince Harry did not lie when submitting applications – which have strict declaration requirements – to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.

It comes as speculation mounts over whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would return to London for the King’s coronation, which would have placed his visa under additional scrutiny on re-entry into the US if he had not fully declared any drug use on the original application.

Prince Harry has admitted to using magic mushrooms at celebrity parties in California. Picture: Supplied

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative American think tank, launched the legal dispute over the State Department’s refusal to release details of Prince Harry’s visa application.

A State Department spokesman said visa records are confidential under Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

“Therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases,” the spokesman said in an emailed statement to News Corp Australia.

Prince Harry in therapy, where he praised the use of drugs to combat trauma. Picture: Supplied

Prince Harry’s memoir and his public comments have been compiled by The Heritage Foundation into a dossier sent to The Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection, and the US Citizenship Immigration Services as part of his legal bid to release his visa application under freedom of information laws.

The foundation is also demanding the release of private emails, text messages, and WhatsApp correspondence as part of its request.

He admitted to using cocaine from the age of 17, pointing to a shooting weekend and “a few more lines” on other occasions.

Prince Harry was filmed undergoing a form of therapy known as EMDR, which is designed to blunt the trauma of painful memories, as part of The Me You Can’t See docuseries.

He admitted to taking magic mushrooms at a celebrity party in California and smoking marijuana after his first date with Meghan Markle in 2016.

“Marijuana is different [to cocaine]. It did really help me,” he said during the online therapy session with Dr Gabor Maté.

Hallucinogens like ayahuasca, meanwhile, helped him remove “life’s filters”. “It removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, relief, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold back for a period of time,” he said.

“I started doing it recreationally and then started to realise how good it was for me. I would say it is one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and the pains of the past. They’re unlocking so much of what we’ve suppressed.”

Originally published as Immigration lawyers warns Prince Harry likely to ‘never’ get US citizenship after drugs admission