Prince Harry and his wife Meghan left their roles as senior members of the Royal Family in 2020. They first moved to Canada, but they quickly established their home in Montecito, California. Since then, the couple and their two children have lived exclusively in the United States.
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However, Prince Harry's visa application has been under fire for months—here's what's happening.
Prince Harry is facing immigration struggles in the US
Prince Harry has benefited from a visa since he moved to the United States five years ago. However, in his memoir Spare, published in January 2023, the Duke of Sussex publicly admitted that he had used drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. This led conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation to legally pursue Prince Harry, as they claim his visa application should have been denied in the first place. The legal battle aims at determining if Prince Harry lied about his drug use in his application, or if he told the truth, and it was overlooked.
Judge Carl Nichols is in charge of Prince Harry's case, and he recently issued an order for a redacted version of his files to be made public by Tuesday 18 March 2025. This is an unexpected development, as Judge Nichols had already deemed that the public did not have a 'strong interest' in these documents, in September 2024. The Heritage Foundation wanted that decision changed, and they eventually got their way.
In February 2025, lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security agreed to release a redacted version of the Prince's visa application.
Royal observer claims he would not return to the UK if deported
So, what could happen to Prince Harry if it was found that he lied on his visa application? The President of the United States said he would not personally act in favour or against the Duke of Sussex's deportation from the USA. He said he would 'leave him alone', but the President also said he would not give the Prince any preferential treatment. He explained:
We'll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they'll have to take appropriate action.
According to a royal commentator, Donald Trump's decision not to get involved stems from his alleged respect for the British monarchy. Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News:
Donald Trump does not want a battle with a member of the Royal Family. It would be appealed through the courts and it would have a huge amount of publicity.
According to the royal commentator, in the case that Prince Harry's visa is revoked, it is not certain that Prince Harry will return to his home country. Instead, he and his family could opt for Portugal or Canada, as the royal observer told GB News:
In the case that Harry was deported, he would not necessarily come back to the UK. He could go to Canada, where they were before (moving to the US), or Portugal where they have a holiday home.
According to the royal observer, neither the Royal Family nor the Sussexes would wish for a reunion in the UK. He explained:
Obviously, the Royal Family would not want the Sussexes in Britain but the Sussexes would not want to come to Britain.
Read more:
Prince Harry: Department of Homeland Security facing calls to make royal’s visa application public
Eric Trump hits out at Prince Harry and Meghan in new interview: ‘We'll happily send them back’
Meghan Markle on the Sussex name and how it's 'part of her love story' with Prince Harry
Sources used:
Sky News: Prince Harry immigration files must be made public next week, US court rules
GB News: Royal Family 'do not want Prince Harry and Meghan to return to UK' amid two potential destinations
