During the first wave of the so-called “Megxit,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent their time in Canada, which is considered a Commonwealth Country.
But a few days before “Megxit” becomes official, Meghan and Harry, together with their 10-month-old baby Archie, flew to Los Angeles, California, just before the border closed due to the travel restrictions brought by the global pandemic of coronavirus.
Should the now ex-royal couple choose to set up a permanent base in the USA, the 38-year-old Duke could only live and work in Meghan’s native city temporarily since he is not a U.S. citizen like his wife.
However, the sixth in line to the throne would have to face a difficult decision should he choose to live happily ever after with Meghan in the U.S. And it all boils down to choosing between the love of his life or his royal birthright.
Meghan vs. Royal Title
After their sneaky move to LA, Harry is probably holding a regular tourist visa or an A1 diplomatic visa, which is only allowed for diplomats and government officials. However, he will not be allowed to work under the said visa other than having a government job.
According to experts, the 38-year-old former “Suits” actress would have to be Prince Harry’s sponsor so he could live permanently in the U.S.
A New York immigration lawyer told Page Six that while Queen Elizabeth‘s grandson was able to work while staying in Canada for the past few months, the rules are totally different now that he is staying in the United States.
But Prince Harry will have lots of options to make his post-royal grand romantic gesture happen. He will have to choose between three options to get a US green card.
The first option is to sponsor himself using the “extraordinary ability” category; second is for Meghan to sponsor him, and third is for a U.S. entity to sponsor his citizenship.
Just like any other green card applicant, the process of the application may take more than a year. So after trying any of the three mentioned options, Harry will be given a temporary work and travel permit.
After being a green card holder for three years, the British prince would be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship.
But being born with a royal birthright, being a US citizen does not come easy for Prince Harry. If he chooses to be a US citizen like his wife, he will have to drop or totally renounce his title as the sixth heir to the royal throne.
It is a given fact that Harry is willing to go against all the odds with Meghan after quitting the royal life. The big question now is if he is ready to drop everything, even his title, to live happily ever after with her real-life princess?