Melania Trump once granted visa for 'extraordinary abilities': What to know about her journey to the US

Melania Trump is currently in the headlines for seemingly refusing to publicly support her husband, former US President Donald Trump, after he was charged in an indictment with 34 felony counts of falsification of business records. But who is Melania and how did she come to be who she is today?

Melania Trump was born Melanija Knavs in 1970 in Slovenia, then part of communist Yugoslavia. Her father was a salesman and her mother a factory worker. She described her childhood:

Growing up as a young child in Slovenia, which was under communist rule at the time, I always heard about an amazing place called America. A land that stood for freedom and opportunity.

After completing high school, Melania dropped out from studying architecture and design at the University of Ljubljana to chase a full time career in modelling in Europe.

How did Melania Trump come to the US?

It was at this time that she Germanised her name to Melania Knauss. In 1996, when she was 26-years-old, she travelled to the United States, initially on a visitor’s visa. According to Brut, she then obtained an EB-1 visa for 'workers with extraordinary abilities'.

The visa is nicknamed the 'Einstein visa' and is given to people who have 'sustained national and international acclaim'. Considering Melania was not a top international model, how did she get it?

A US immigration specialist believes her application may have been aided by high-profile testimonial letters, possibly even from real estate mogul and future husband Donald Trump, who she was dating at the time. Nita Upadhye said, as quoted by BBC:

It's about getting testimonials from someone who is extraordinary in their own right and has some name recognition, but who can also attest to specific achievements of the applicant. And I'm sure she probably had some pretty significant letters, maybe from Donald Trump.

Melania Trump becomes a US citizen

In 2006, Melania realised:

Living and working in the land of opportunity was a dream come true. But I wanted more. I wanted to be a citizen.

So, that same year, she became a US citizen and sponsored her parents’ move to the US through 'chain migration', a policy Trump later condemned.

When Trump ran for office in 2016, her initial immigration status became a problem for his campaign. He said:

'They say, Melania Trump may have come into our country illegally, and how would that be for Donald Trump to be talking about'… Here’s the only problem, she came in totally legally.

Read more ⋙ Donald Trump gloats about being the 'healthiest President' as he hints at plan to run in 2024

How did Melania meet Donald Trump?

Only two years after she moved to the US, Melania began dating Donald Trump. She revealed that 'love for this country is something we immediately shared when I met Donald Trump'. They got married in 2005, and the following year, she gave birth to their son Barron Trump.

In 2010, Melania entered the business world when she designed her own jewellery and watch collection. She launched a high-end skincare line made with caviar in 2012, however it was short-lived.

When Trump became US President in 2017, Melania became only the second foreign-born First Lady. She said:

As First Lady, I have been fortunate to see the American dream come true over and over again.

Why is Melania staying silent now?

Melania has despaired at being criticised for her husband's actions. In 2020, her former friend and senior adviser, Stephanie Wolkoff, released secretly recorded conversations she had with Melania to CNN. She said, in regards to Trump's policy of separating families at the Mexican border:

They say I’m complicit, I’m the same like him, I support him. I don’t say enough, I don’t do enough.

Now, many are speculating as to why Melania has remained silent amid the charges against her husband. She was notably absent when Trump addressed supporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach on 4 April. Wolkoff told Page Six:

I never expected to see her there. Her silence is deliberate, it is her weapon of choice and her protective armor.

Read more:

⋙ Mar-a-Lago raid has Donald Trump concerned about precious property

⋙ Donald Trump accused of trying to sabotage Joe Biden’s win at hearing

Sources used:

Brut: 'The Life of Melania Trump'

DailyMail: 'Another tawdry saga, more dirty laundry... no wonder Melania wasn’t at Trump's Mar-a-Lago fight-back. But now DailyMail.com reveals what's REALLY going on in their marriage'

BBC: 'What is the Einstein visa? And how did Melania Trump get one?'

Independent: 'Melania’s former aide explains her arraingment day absence'