Prince Harry’s status in the US could be a ‘telltale sign’ that he doesn’t have a green card to live there

Prince Harry, who famously left his post as a senior Royal and moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle, has told British officials that he is now “ordinarily resident” in the United States.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their transatlantic move in 2020, swapping Windsor for Montecito, California. However, three years later in 2023, in a shocking move, she was asked to leave Frogmore Cottage by Harry’s father, The King.

Last week, Harry changed his primary residence from Britain to the US, a change backdated to their official departure from the cottage in June last year. But the careful wording surrounding this move raises questions about Harry’s immigration status.

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The absence of the term “permanent residence” indicates that he may not have yet obtained a green card, which is typically the first step toward U.S. citizenship, The Mirror reports.

This possibility was highlighted by Charlotte Slocombe, partner at the international law firm Fragomen, specialized in US immigration proceedings. She explained: “From a US immigration perspective, ‘residency’ covers a number of visa categories and essentially means that he is not a tourist.

“It doesn’t give any indication of what type of visa he has. The lack of use of ‘permanent residence’ seems to indicate that he does not in fact hold a green card, which would be the first step towards naturalization and becoming a US member. Harry can maintain temporary U.S. immigration status by holding an A-1 diplomatic visa, or an O-1 Extraordinary Ability or Achievement visa, indefinitely, without ever having to become a permanent resident or U.S. citizen.

Royal commentator and author Tom Quinn shared with the Mirror: “Harry was absolutely furious and tearful about being kicked out of Frogmore. He felt his father had no right to do that and that it was purely revengeful.”

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