WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department said on Monday that it was incumbent on an individual who entered the United States on a so-called “A” visa reserved for diplomats and heads of state to depart the country within 30 days or apply for a change of immigration status if they are no longer engaged in official business.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro flew to Florida two days before his term ended on Jan. 1, before his supporters stormed the country’s capital on Sunday, and is believed to have entered on such a visa.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing that he could not comment on an individual’s visa status, but spoke in general about visa rules.
“If an individual has no basis on which to be in the United States, an individual is subject to removal by the Department of Homeland Security,” Price said.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese)