Prince Harry “may have to inform US officials about his drug use” when he reapplies for a visa this year

Prince Harry must extend his US visa this year, it appears, as pressure mounts to publish his original application following his drug-taking admissions.

The Duke of Sussex moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle in March 2020, meaning the typical three-year visa given to those immigrating to the United States should end.

The 38-year-old, who admitted in his memoir Spare to having previously used cannabis, magic mushrooms and cocaine, will therefore have to apply for a new visa, a green card or full citizenship if he wants to stay in the country.

But under U.S. immigration laws, foreigners who are “determined to be a drug user” are classed as “inadmissible.”

While officials can use their discretion to waive the rule, some US conservative voices fear that Harry — who admitted in his memoir that he didn’t “roll a joint” until 2020 — may have received special treatment.

Sources close to the duke last night insisted he was “truthful” when he applied for residency in California, suggesting he had informed immigration officials of his past drug use.

But conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, demanding that the application be published to establish exactly what the royal family has revealed – alongside details of any waiver granted to him.

U.S. immigration law has severe penalties for lying to immigration officials, including deportation and denial of citizenship.

In his memoirs and in a “therapy session” with toxic trauma expert Dr. Gabor Mate last month to promote his book, Harry admitted to taking psychedelic drugs.

They include the hallucinogenic ayahuasca plant from the Amazon region, whose effects he described as “cleaning the windshield, removing the filters of life.”

But under US law, admitting drug use usually results in a person being banned from entering the United States.

The issue of immigration is expected to become one of the main focuses of the 2024 presidential election, with Republicans attacking President Joe Biden for his lax border controls.

And there are fears that Harry’s friendships with prominent Democratic Party figures such as former President Barack Obama and major Democratic donors including Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry could make him an “ignorant pawn in a very political game.”

The Heritage Foundation says his visa application should be released now so that US taxpayers can understand whether Harry has reported his drug use.

Mike Howell, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, said: ‘This request is in the public interest in light of the possible revocation of Prince Harry’s visa for illegal drug use and further questions about the Prince’s drug use and whether he has been properly vetted before. enter the United States’.

The US immigration authorities have until April 12 to respond to the freedom of information request.

Under U.S. law, anyone applying for a visa to live and work in America must tick a box to answer “yes” or “no” to the question, “Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict been?’

There is a history of authorities releasing immigration documents on public figures.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services website has an electronic reading room with the immigration records of people such as Shyamala Gopalan Harris, mother of US Vice President Kamala Harris, and George Michael and John Lennon.

Other celebrities whose records are public include Canadian-born Superman actress Margot Kidder and British actress Lynn Redgrave.

Dewey added, “A confession to drug use does not automatically mean you will be suspended forever.

“There is an exemption procedure and many people are granted an exemption on a case-by-case basis. If Prince Harry has been granted a waiver, who authorized it? Has the correct protocol been followed? It’s something the American people deserve to know.”

Often a ban is reversed after a personal interview at a US consulate or official immigration office, where a waiver can be issued.

In 2014, Ms Lawson was banned from entering the US after admitting to using cocaine during a trial, even though she told a judge: ‘I’ve never been a drug addict. I’ve never been a regular user.’ She was later granted a visa after being interviewed at the US Embassy in London, while Ms Winehouse was twice denied entry due to her drug use.

Dewey said: “There is no suggestion that Prince Harry has done anything wrong and if he were to be granted an exemption, he may not be aware of any political strings that may have been pulled, if indeed that was the case. But there is a danger that he will become an ignorant pawn in an issue that has become a hot political issue.’

Reports in the US have suggested that Harry was admitted on an ‘O’ visa – given to people of extraordinary ability.

Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, said: ‘This is a much bigger problem than Prince Harry. It’s about enforcing immigration laws and making sure no one is above the law. Prince Harry is just the tip of the iceberg.

“There are many who believe that under President Biden, immigration laws have become lax and are not being properly enforced.

Prince Harry spoke openly about his drug use and he did so for commercial and financial gain, to sell books. As far as we are concerned, privacy is not an issue here.’

The Mail on Sunday previously sought comment on Prince Harry’s immigration status from the US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Customs and Border Protection, the California Border Patrol and the Archewell Organization of Sussex . None responded.