Newly released federal immigration records show that Jeffrey Epstein personally sponsored Ghislaine Maxwell’s first long-term legal entry into the United States through the H-1B visa program, anchoring her presence years before either was charged in connection with his sex trafficking network.
Epstein Sponsored Maxwell’s Entry via H-1B Visa
Records unsealed by the Department of Justice in late January show Epstein filed an H-1B petition for Maxwell in November 1992, securing her authorization to live and work in the United States for up to three years.
The petition, approved on November 5, 1992 — the anniversary of her father Robert Maxwell’s mysterious death — lists Epstein’s New York office as the sponsor and employer. Sponsorship by an employer is a key condition of the H-1B visa program.
The documents indicate that Maxwell was issued a physical H-1B visa by the U.S. consulate in London on January 15, 1993, and soon entered the country via New York. Immigration forms submitted later by Maxwell state that she began working as a manager for J. Epstein & Co. on January 19, 1993, linking her employment to Epstein-affiliated entities from the outset.
Official Records Clarify Timeline of Arrival
The records clarify a long-disputed period in public accounts, specifically when Maxwell first arrived in the United States and under what legal status.
Some reports have placed her arrival in late 1991 following her father’s death, while others cite 1992. The newly released files document that Epstein’s H-1B petition provided her first formal, long-term, employment-based authorization to remain in the country beyond a visitor stay, beginning in early 1993.
By at least 1994, prosecutors later reportedly told jurors, Maxwell and Epstein were engaged in a romantic relationship, though some evidence suggests their association may have begun earlier.
Immigration records do not address the personal nature of their relationship but show continuous employment ties to Epstein-controlled companies throughout the 1990s.
While under H-1B status, Maxwell applied for permanent residency in 1995 by filing Form I-485 in New York. Her application notes selection in the Diversity Visa Program, a federal immigration lottery that allows some applicants already lawfully present in the United States to adjust status.
Maxwell’s green card was approved in early 1996, granting her indefinite lawful permanent residency roughly three years after her initial H-1B entry.
The documents show Maxwell was naturalized as a United States citizen on November 27, 2002, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. By 2001 and 2002, she listed her residence as Little St. James Island — the private island owned by Epstein that later became central to multiple criminal investigations — according to her naturalization paperwork.
Unsealed Under Trump-Signed Epstein Files Transparency Act
The immigration filings are among thousands of Epstein-related records being released by the Department of Justice after the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November 2025, The Dallas Express reported. The law mandates the disclosure of long-sealed investigative material tied to Epstein and his associates.
Maxwell, now 64, is serving a 20-year federal sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges related to Epstein’s abuse of underage girls. She remains the only person convicted in connection with Epstein’s trafficking operation. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.
The release of the immigration records comes as Maxwell seeks to overturn her conviction, alleging juror misconduct and prosecutorial failures, according to Fox News.
The documents reviewed for this report do not allege criminal conduct related to Maxwell’s immigration process. However, they provide a detailed paper trail showing how Epstein’s direct sponsorship through the H-1B visa program enabled Maxwell’s long-term presence in the United States, years before authorities publicly scrutinized their relationship.
The H-1B visa is an immigration program created by Congress in 1990 that allows noncitizens to temporarily work in the United States in a “specialty occupation,” typically requiring at least a bachelor’s degree or higher.
First in DX Series: Upcoming Report on Eastern European Models and H-1B Visas
This report is the first in a series examining immigration and travel records tied to Epstein and his associates. A forthcoming report by The Dallas Express will examine separate records involving Eastern European “models” who flew on planes with Epstein in the United States while holding H-1B visas, according to documents reviewed.
