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2 Apr 2025 8:16
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  •   Home > News > International

    US releases redacted documents in Prince Harry's visa case

    More than 80 pages of court filings and transcripts were released with large sections heavily redacted.


    Documents related to a court battle over Prince Harry's 2020 US visa application have been made public.

    The files from the Duke of Sussex's case were released after a federal judge ruled in favour of conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.

    They had asked for the documents to be released as part of a freedom of information request.

    The think tank alleged Prince Harry may have concealed past illegal drug use — referenced in his 2023 autobiography Spare — that should have disqualified him from obtaining a visa.

    More than 80 pages of court filings and transcripts were released with large sections heavily redacted.

    However, Harry's actual immigration file has remained private.

    Immigration officials said the Heritage Foundation had not established that the public interest outweighed the right to privacy for Harry.

    "[The] plaintiffs allege that the records should be disclosed as public confidence in the government would suffer or to establish whether the Duke was granted preferential treatment," said Jarrod Panter, an official at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    "This speculation by [the] plaintiffs does not point to any evidence of government misconduct."

    Mr Panter also said the Duke's application followed all "applicable rules and regulations".

    The question of Harry's safety was also considered in the decision-making process.

    Mr Panter said making such information public could subject him to "reasonably foreseeable harm in the form of harassment as well as unwanted contact by the media and others".

    Speaking with GB News, the Heritage Foundation's Nile Gardiner said "the fight continues to release Harry's immigration application to the American people".

    Memoir reveals past drug use

    In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry admitted to taking drugs including cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms while as a teenager and adult.

    Applications for visas to live in the United States ask about current and historical drug use. These questions are:

    Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?

    Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?

    The US Citizenship and Immigration Services' says any foreigner "determined to be a drug abuser or addict" is classed as "inadmissible".

    Admissions of drug use can lead to non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications being rejected, although immigration officers have discretion to make a final decision based on different factors.


    ABC




    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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