Prince Harry’s United States visa records were made public after a conservative think tank pointed out that the British royal admitted to using drugs in his 2023 memoir, “Spare.”
A heavily redacted version of Harry’s immigration records were unsealed Tuesday in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made by the Heritage Foundation.
The Washington, DC-based group initially requested the records in May 2023 after questioning how Harry could emigrate to America in early 2020 when he had a history of drug use.
In “Spare,” the Duke of Sussex confessed to trying cocaine as a teenager, smoking marijuana and dabbling in psychedelic mushrooms.
The Heritage Foundation argued that Harry, now 40, should have disclosed all his prior drug use while applying for a visa.
A candidate’s past history with drugs plays a role in the government’s decision to permit a new individual, with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services manual stating, “Applicants who are found to be drug abusers or addicts are inadmissible.”
The documents released Tuesday were redacted to protect Harry’s privacy and did not include his actual visa application.
However, the Heritage Foundation’s lawyer, Samuel Dewey, told The Post that the paperwork still paints a “pretty clear picture” of Harry’s immigration process.
Dewey pointed out that if the prince had disclosed his past drug use, he would have most likely needed to file a separate form sent to the Department of Homeland Security.
But if he did not divulge the information, Homeland Security would not have that form or get involved in the process.
Harry is a US citizen, but his visa type is unclear.
He and his wife, Meghan Markle, infamously stepped back from royal life in January 2020 and moved to Montecito, Calif., where they now live with their two children: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.
Harry said on “Good Morning America” last year that he “considered” applying to be a full-time citizen, but it was not a “high priority” at the time.
One major factor that could potentially play a role in his decision would be the US’s requirement to give up royal titles.
Harry has not publicly acknowledged the unsealed documents or elaborated on his future immigration plans.
