Prince harry visa records to be made public this week us court rules 20250317 p5qpsj.html – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Advertisement
Advertisement
This was published 1 year ago

Prince Harry's visa records set to be made public this week

Jo Abi
Jo Abi

A redacted version of Prince Harry's United States visa application is set to be made public this week.

Judge Carl Nichols has ordered the release of the documents as part of a Freedom of Information claim brought by think tank Heritage Foundation.

It's understood the US Department of Homeland Security has been ordered to release the redacted versions of these documents by no later than March 18, 2025.

Advertisement

READ MORE: Ugly truth saw singer's wildest dreams come crashing down

prince harry visa

A redacted version of Prince Harry's US visa application is set to be made public this week. Getty

It is understood the Heritage Foundation wants to check the royal's drug use claims on the documents after his drug use admissions in his memoir Spare.

The group questions Harry's eligibility to enter the US in 2020 after his admission to the book.

They claim Harry lied on his visa application regarding his drug use to gain entry to the country.

READ MORE: 'Curse' that clouds singer's relationships with other stars

prince harry visa

It is understood the Heritage Foundation wants to check the royal's drug use claims. Getty

The ruling comes after the Department of Homeland Security approved the documents' redactions, deeming them "appropriate".

Advertisement

Three redacted documents have been approved for release while a fourth will reportedly remain private.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the UK to the US in 2020 and now reside in Montecito California with their two children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.

Spare was released in 2023 and became an instant bestseller.

Advertisement
Advertisement

In the book, Harry spoke about the recreational use of cocaine, magic mushrooms, marijuana, and psychedelics, the latter as part of his therapy.

US immigration laws state any foreigner "determined to be a drug abuser" is classed as "inadmissible".

prince harry visa

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the UK to the US in 2020. Getty

Heritage Foundation has speculated Harry lied on his visa application when answering a question about drug use, which could warrant his deportation.

Advertisement

They also speculate the royal received a special waiver from former US President Joe Biden over his drug use and visa application.

Judge Carl Nichols ruled in 2024 that Prince Harry's visa application would remain sealed as "the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the Duke's immigration records".

READ MORE: 'I don't want to vilify anyone': Star snubbed on biggest stage in the world

Advertisement
Advertisement

"Like any foreign national, the duke has a legitimate privacy interest in his immigration status," he said in his ruling.

"And the duke's public statements about his travel and drug use did not disclose, and therefore did not eliminate his interest in keeping private, specific information regarding his immigration status, applications, or other materials."

The Heritage Foundation continued to pursue the matter, receiving this latest ruling in their favour.

A lawyer for the Department of Home Security agreed in February to release redacted versions of the documents.

Advertisement
prince harry visa

The Heritage Foundation continued to pursue the matter, receiving this latest ruling in their favour. Getty

Department lawyer John Bardo wrote in a court filing: "Specifically, Defendant would propose redacting all information in these items that would reveal information that the Court has determined Defendant can withhold."

President Donald Trump has ruled out deporting Prince Harry from the US, telling the New York Post he'll "leave him alone".

"I won't deport him. I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible," Trump said.

Advertisement
Advertisement

President Donald Trump has ruled out deporting Prince Harry from the US. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative group formed in Washington DC in 1973.

Nile Gardiner, the head of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom, has previously said: "We believe the American people have a right to know whether Prince Harry was truthful on his application."

Heritage Foundation attorney Samuel Dewey said: "If he lied, that gets you deported."

Advertisement

He added: "People are routinely deported for lying on immigration forms."

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

Most viewed in Lifestyle

More to explore