Facebook’s Eduardo Saverin Likely Barred From Re-Entering U.S.

"Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s decision to renounce his U.S. citizenship just in time to avoid a large tax payment essentially means he will not be able to re-enter the United States again, immigration experts tell TPM.  “There’s a specific provision of immigration law that says that a former citizen who officially renounces citizenship, and is determined to have renounced it for the purpose of avoiding taxation, is excludable,” said Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “So he would not be able to return to the United States if he’s found to have renounced for tax purposes.”  The provision of law isn’t usually enforced, added Williams, “however, this guy is so high profile that this is probably going to be the test case.”  Saverin’s only path back to living in the U.S., experts contend, would involve persuading the authorities that his decision was not about avoiding taxes — an argument the 30-year-old billionaire is apparently angling to make.  “This had nothing to do with taxes,” Saverin told the New York Times. “I was born in Brazil, I was an American citizen for about 10 years. I thought of myself as a global citizen.”  Two immigration lawyers said his explanation hardly passes the laugh test." - TPMDC, May 17, 2012.