WILDES & WEINBERG P.C. 515 Madison Sbeonue a Mews York, Now York 10022 ee rn 8408 = xc 753.866 ss September 14, 2016 ‘To Whom It May Concer: Lam an attomey admitted in good standing before the bars of New York, New Iersey ani the District af Columbia I serve ae Managing Partner at Wildes & Weinherg, P.C., a New York-based law firm which provides services solely in the area of US. immigration and nationality law. was recently asked to review a series of media reports and documents reganling the U.S. immigration history of Mrs. Melania Trump. While T have never previously represented Mes. Trump, in the interests of full disclosure, over the past decade I have represented several companies which are or have been owned by Mr. Donald J. Trump, including Trump Models and The Miss Universe Organization. thas been suggested by various media outlets that in 199 Mrs, Trump illegally worked as a model in the United States while ona visitor visa, Following a review of her relevant immigration paperwork, I can unequivocally state that these allegations are not supported by the record, and are therefore completely without merit Contrary to published reports, Mrs. Trump never worked in the United States in 1995 because she was never in the United States in 1995. Instead, the documentation reflects that Mrs. Trumps first entry to the United States was on August 27, 1996 pursuant to a B-1/B-2 visitor visa. Shortly thereafter, on October 18, 1996, the US. Embassy in Slovenia issued Mrs. Trump her first H-1B visa, a category which authorizes employment as a model in the United States. Mrs. Trump was thereafter consistendly issued H-1B visas, five in total, between October 1996 and 2001, at which point she became a lawful permanent resident, or "green card” holder.Melania Trump Page 2 of 2 ‘Members of the media have questioned this narrative on the grounds that some foreign workers are issued H-1B visas for upto three years. This was not the case for Mrs. Trump, however, because the Foreign Affairs Manual then used by U.S. Consulates limited the issuance of H-1B visas for Slovenian citizens to only one year. Consistent with this rule, each of Mrs. Trump’s five H-1B visas was issued fora one year period, Ithas further been alleged by different media outlets that Mrs. Trump violated US. gration laws by participating in a 1995 photo shoot in New York City for the French magazine Mar. Again, such reports are not supported by the facts. Because Mrs. Trump did not enter the United States until August 27, 1996, the allegation that she participated in ‘photo shoot in 1995 is not only untrue, itis impossible. In reality, through an interview \ith Mrs. Trump, we ascertained thatthe photo shoot in question did not occur until after she was admitted to the United Stats in H-IB visa status in October 1996, Finally, Mrs. Trump did not receive her green card through marriage. Rather, in 2000, Mrs. Trump selfsponsored herself for a green card as a model of “extraordinary ability,” and on March 19, 2001, she was admitted to the United States as a lawful [Permanent resident. Based on this timeline, Mrs. Trump became eligible for citizen 2006, aftr five years of continuous permanent residence uly yours, yt ‘MICHAEL J. WILDES