Recently, there’s been a debate in the US over how First Lady Melania Trump got a special kind of US visa known as the “Einstein visa.”
What is an Einstein Visa?
The Einstein visa, officially called the EB-1 visa, is a special type of visa given to people who show extraordinary ability in areas like:
- Science
- Arts
- Education
- Business
- Athletics
To get this visa, a person usually must have major achievements—like winning a Nobel Prize, an Olympic medal, or receiving national or international recognition for their work.
During a recent government hearing, Democratic lawmaker Jasmine Crockett questioned how Melania Trump received such a visa. Crockett said that Melania, who was working as a model, did not have the level of fame or awards typically needed to qualify for an Einstein visa. She also pointed out that this shows a double standard, where some people in power are not questioned about how they got their visas.
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Crockett joked, saying, “It doesn’t take an Einstein to see that the math ain’t mathin’ here.”
In response, Alex Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute, who also attended the hearing, said, “Not everybody could marry Donald Trump,” suggesting that Melania’s marriage itself was a big deal. Crockett responded with a laugh, “You sure are right, I couldn’t have done it.”
Melania’s US Journey
Melania Trump was born in Slovenia. She came to the US in 1996 on a tourist visa, which was later changed to a work visa so she could model in New York. She received her EB-1 Einstein visa in 2001, four years before marrying Donald Trump in 2005.
The Main Concern
This issue has sparked discussions on fairness, transparency, and the real qualifications needed for elite visas like the EB-1.
