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http://www.usatoday.com/story/...ented-work/93321114/

AP: Melania Trump was an undocumented working model in '96

, USA TODAY12:35 a.m. EDT November 5, 2016

Melania Trump, the wife of the Republican nominee Donald Trump, was paid for 10 modeling jobs in the United States in 1996 before obtaining the necessary documents to legally work in the country, The Associated Press reported Friday.

The report, which AP says is based on accounting ledgers, contracts and other related documents, comes one day after Melania Trump delivered her first speech in the campaign since the Republican National Convention. In the speech, she addressed her journey to becoming a U.S. citizen and how, "as a young entrepreneur, I wanted to follow my dream to a place where freedom and opportunity were in abundance."

Melania Trump arrived in the U.S. from Slovenia on Aug. 27, 1996, on a B1/B2 visitor visa and earned $20,056 for 10 modeling jobs before she obtained her H-1B work visa on Oct. 18, 1996, according to AP.

"The documents examined by the AP indicate that the modeling assignments would have been outside the bounds of her visa," AP reports.

She received her green card in March 2001 and became a citizen in 2006 after marrying Donald Trump in 2005.

Politico raised questions about Melania Trump's immigration story in August after The New York Post ran racy photos of the former model the paper said were taken in the U.S. in 1995. Politico pointed out that would have been before she became a citizen and the Trump campaign responded by releasing a letter from an attorney that outlined her immigration process.

"I am pleased to enclose a letter from my immigration attorney which states that, with 100% certainty, I correctly went through the legal process when arriving in the USA," Melania Trump tweeted at the time, with an image of the letter from Michael J. Wildes, the lawyer, attached.

Politico ended up issuing a correction on its story because it turned out the photos were taken in 1997, not 1995. But, in refuting that report, Wildes provided the dates of Melania Trump's arrival and when she obtained her work visa. AP then focused its investigation on the weeks between those two dates.

Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a cornerstone of his presidential campaign and he wants to expand the use of the government's E-verify system to determine if employees are authorized to work in the U.S.

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Saw that report from AP yesterday. The yellow haired windbag of course knew that a long time prior to coming down on poor Mexicans looking for yard work. I guess this lady showing off her assets for 1k a pop and snacks on caviar is better than the poor grunt who  pushes mower for four dollars  an hour and live on taro and cassava and masa harina. This man is such a complete and total fraud it is amazing that he can gull so many foolish people.

FM

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

FM
Danyael posted:

Saw that report from AP yesterday. The yellow haired windbag of course knew that a long time prior to coming down on poor Mexicans looking for yard work. I guess this lady showing off her assets for 1k a pop and snacks on caviar is better than the poor grunt who  pushes mower for four dollars  an hour and live on taro and cassava and masa harina. This man is such a complete and total fraud it is amazing that he can gull so many foolish people.

They come with no visa!!

FM
ba$eman posted:

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States
Mars
Last edited by Mars
ba$eman posted:
Danyael posted:

Saw that report from AP yesterday. The yellow haired windbag of course knew that a long time prior to coming down on poor Mexicans looking for yard work. I guess this lady showing off her assets for 1k a pop and snacks on caviar is better than the poor grunt who  pushes mower for four dollars  an hour and live on taro and cassava and masa harina. This man is such a complete and total fraud it is amazing that he can gull so many foolish people.

They come with no visa!!

Many illegals come with visas.

FM
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

FM
Danyael posted:
ba$eman posted:
Danyael posted:

Saw that report from AP yesterday. The yellow haired windbag of course knew that a long time prior to coming down on poor Mexicans looking for yard work. I guess this lady showing off her assets for 1k a pop and snacks on caviar is better than the poor grunt who  pushes mower for four dollars  an hour and live on taro and cassava and masa harina. This man is such a complete and total fraud it is amazing that he can gull so many foolish people.

They come with no visa!!

Many illegals come with visas.

At the time of coming, they were not illegal. They go illegal when the violate the terms or over-stayed.

FM
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

It is being reported that she worked while on a B1/B2 visa which is illegal. An ITIN is not a right to work. You can have an ITIN as a businessman to open bank accounts, etc and still cannot legally work in the US. She was breaking the law as well as her employer.

Mars
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

It is being reported that she worked while on a B1/B2 visa which is illegal. An ITIN is not a right to work. You can have an ITIN as a businessman to open bank accounts, etc and still cannot legally work in the US. She was breaking the law as well as her employer.

Correct, but the employer will ensure it's a working ITIN as then they are also in violation.  There are many ITINs, work and non-work.  As I said, she may have come on a B1, but likely applied for an H1B and got a work ITIN in the interim.  This was perfectly normal!!  Keep in mind, her H1B was issued within weeks of the earnings as such, I believe that to be the case!

FM
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:

That has no legs.  She likely applied, got an ITIN and received the visa a few weeks later.  This was acceptable, at least back then and I believe even now!  The agency had to comply with the tax codes and had to ensure she carried a work ITIN.

There are special arrangements for visiting and transient international athletes, performers, speakers, models and such people who come for a short time or an event.  She likely then wanted to remain on and needed the H1B, which she got shortly after!

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

It is being reported that she worked while on a B1/B2 visa which is illegal. An ITIN is not a right to work. You can have an ITIN as a businessman to open bank accounts, etc and still cannot legally work in the US. She was breaking the law as well as her employer.

Correct, but the employer will ensure it's a working ITIN as then they are also in violation.  There are many ITINs, work and non-work.  As I said, she may have come on a B1, but likely applied for an H1B and got a work ITIN in the interim.  This was perfectly normal!!  Keep in mind, her H1B was issued within weeks of the earnings as such, I believe that to be the case!

No, it is not normal. Some people may have done it but it is illegal to work while you're still on a B1/B2 visa. You have to wait until the H1B is issued and then you can legally work. There is no such provision that entitles you to work on an ITIN while you wait for the H1B. If she was working on a visitor's visa as reported then she was in violation of the law along with her employer. 

Mars
Last edited by Mars
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

It is being reported that she worked while on a B1/B2 visa which is illegal. An ITIN is not a right to work. You can have an ITIN as a businessman to open bank accounts, etc and still cannot legally work in the US. She was breaking the law as well as her employer.

Correct, but the employer will ensure it's a working ITIN as then they are also in violation.  There are many ITINs, work and non-work.  As I said, she may have come on a B1, but likely applied for an H1B and got a work ITIN in the interim.  This was perfectly normal!!  Keep in mind, her H1B was issued within weeks of the earnings as such, I believe that to be the case!

No, it is not normal. Some people may have done it but it is illegal to work while you're still on a B1/B2 visa. You have to wait until the H1B is issued and then you can legally work. There is no such provision that entitles you to work on an ITIN while you wait for the H1B. If she was working on a visitor's visa as reported then she was in violation of the law along with her employer. 

You making this all up.  I knew people who were in transition from nn-working pre-2001 and they were issued work ITINs so then can start earning. Things may have changed with tighter rules, but I know people back then who were transitioning from non-working to working and got a work ITIN to start working.  So you are wrong.

Furthermore, she was not an illegal alien or undocumented migrant, but a legal visitor on a non-work visa.  Her employer likely did the sponsorship for the H1B and would not be paying those sums out illegally.  They clearly thought it was ok!

FM
Last edited by Former Member
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:
ba$eman posted:
Mars posted:

You cannot work in the US on a B1/B2 visitor's visa. It was illegal then and it is illegal now. Artists and entertainers have separate categories (O1, P1, P2, P3) of visas which allows them to work temporarily. 

https://travel.state.gov/conte...n/visit/visitor.html

These are some examples of activities that require different categories of visas and cannot be done while on a visitor visa:

  • study
  • employment
  • paid performances, or any professional performance before a paying audience
  • arrival as a crewmember on a ship or aircraft
  • work as foreign press, radio, film, journalists, and other information media
  • permanent residence in the United States

I do not think she worked on that status.  The employer must have filed for an ITIN and filed for the H1B.  She must have had an ITIN or the employer would be in trouble, even if they employ her as a free-lance contractor.  If it was a W2 or 1099, the employer had to file with the IRS.  I think she worked as a NR contractor with an ITIN until the H1B was issued.  If not, then the employer is guilty of committing immigration and tax fraud!  I doubt this was the case!

It is being reported that she worked while on a B1/B2 visa which is illegal. An ITIN is not a right to work. You can have an ITIN as a businessman to open bank accounts, etc and still cannot legally work in the US. She was breaking the law as well as her employer.

Correct, but the employer will ensure it's a working ITIN as then they are also in violation.  There are many ITINs, work and non-work.  As I said, she may have come on a B1, but likely applied for an H1B and got a work ITIN in the interim.  This was perfectly normal!!  Keep in mind, her H1B was issued within weeks of the earnings as such, I believe that to be the case!

No, it is not normal. Some people may have done it but it is illegal to work while you're still on a B1/B2 visa. You have to wait until the H1B is issued and then you can legally work. There is no such provision that entitles you to work on an ITIN while you wait for the H1B. If she was working on a visitor's visa as reported then she was in violation of the law along with her employer. 

You making this all up.  I knew people who were in transition from nn-working pre-2001 and they were issued work ITINs so then can start earning. Things may have changed with tighter rules, but I know people back then who were transitioning from non-working to working and got a work ITIN to start working.  So you are wrong.

Furthermore, she was not an illegal alien or undocumented migrant, but a legal visitor on a non-work visa.  Her employer likely did the sponsorship for the H1B and would not be paying those sums out illegally.  They clearly thought it was ok!

I'm not making anything up. I'm telling you what the law is and I know about it since I've been hiring I.T. contractors before Y2K until the present day. They all work on H1B visas. If you start working while you're on a B1/B2 visitor's visa and the H1B visa is not yet effective, you're in violation of the law. Acquiring an ITIN does not give anyone the right to work, a visa does that. There is no transitioning period where you can start working legally because you put it an application for an H1B visa. That is nonsense. The H1B visa is what gives you the legal right to start working. If you don't have it or any other form of work permit and you start working, you're breaking the law. It's that simple. This is what the Associated Press reported "The documents examined by the AP indicate that the modeling assignments would have been outside the bounds of her visa". The AP is a reputable organization who must have vetted the story with their legal department before they reported it. The employer might have thought it was OK for her to start working because they knew that she will get an H1B and eventually be working legally but they were breaking the law. You cannot legally work on B1/B2 visitor's visa and you cannot start working until your H1B is effective. It does not matter if you're a legal visitor. A legal B1/B2 visitor has no right to work until they have a work visa such as an H1B in effect.

Mars

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