Melania Trump dismisses ‘inaccurate’ media reports about her immigration status

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Melania Trump - she of Slovenia, a glamorous past and a husband running for the White House - has denied allegations that she violated visa rules when she entered the United States.

The 46-year-old posted a message on social media in which she alleged she had been the victim of “inaccurate reporting” about the circumstances surrounding her arrival in the US as a young model 20 years ago.

“In recent days there has been a lot of inaccurate reporting and misinformation concerning my immigration status back in 1996,” said Ms Trump.

“Let me set the record straight: I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period.”

The wife of the Republican candidate has been at the centre of controversy since the publication last weekend of naked photographs of her that were shot in New York in 1995. Politico said there were inconsistencies with her account of her arrival in America and the visa she came here on.

Mr Trump has taken a hard line on illegal immigration in his campaign.

So far, the Trump campaign has refused to say exactly which visas Ms Trump had, and when she had them.

The owner of one modelling agency, Paolo Zampolli, has said he sponsored Ms Trump for an H1B work visa in 1996.

She has said that she had to go back to her native Slovenia every few months to renew her permit - something that is only generally necessary for tourist and business visas that do not permit work.

In her Twitter message, Ms Trump added that any suggestion that she had acted illegally was “simply untrue”.

“In July 2006, I proudly became a US citizen,” she said. “Over the past 20 years, I have been fortunate to live, work and raise a family in this great nation and I share my husband's love for our country.”