Liam Payne extended stay in Argentina after US visa initially denied due to drug abuse, reveals friend
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: Liam Payne had to prolong his stay in Argentina when his application for a United States visa was initially denied because of his history of drug abuse, as disclosed by a close friend.
The member of One Direction journeyed to Buenos Aires for the renewal of his "extraordinary achievement" visa, enabling him to sustain his new lifestyle in Florida alongside his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
Liam Payne's visa application initially denied due to drug abuse admission
Liam Payne's application was initially denied due to his admission of alcohol and drug abuse, which led to mandatory psychiatric and medical evaluations.
Nevertheless, it was ultimately approved, and he was scheduled to have his passport visa stamped on Friday, October 18, merely two days after his untimely death resulting from a fall from his hotel balcony.
"'Everyone is devastated," a member of his inner circle disclosed the information. "Kate is destroyed."
His friend described how Payne needed to travel overseas to renew his "O-1 nonimmigrant" visa and chose to apply at the US embassy in Buenos Aires, which allowed him to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan's concert.
"Liam had to get his US visa extended," the friend said. "He was on an O-1 visa, which is for artists, sportsmen, and other people with extraordinary achievement. But one of the questions on the form asks, 'Have you ever abused alcohol or drugs?' Liam's problems with drugs and alcohol are well documented."
The friend went on to say, "It is widely known that he had been to rehab in the US, so he had to tick the box, and because of this he had to have medical tests. He had to be checked out by a doctor and a psychiatrist. All this took time. So Liam was forced to stay in Buenos Aires longer than he had planned."
According to the Daily Mail, the O-1 non-immigrant visa is designated for individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who have a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry and have been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements.
Liam Payne receives clean bill of health before tragic death
Payne, aged 31, received a clean bill of health following medical and psychiatric evaluations, according to his friend. Tragically, he died before his passport could be stamped with the renewed visa.
"The results of the tests were good," the friend informed. "Liam was 100 percent sober. He was supposed to have a meeting at the embassy on Thursday and collect his visa on Friday. When I last spoke to Liam, I had no idea he that he was going to do anything stupid."
Payne and Cassidy arrived in Argentina on October 1, just in time to attend Horan's concert at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires the next evening.
The couple first resided in a luxurious Airbnb in the Argentinian capital but had to relocate due to a delay in Payne's visa application and the expiration of their reservation.
Subsequently, the singer moved into the boutique CasaSur Hotel, while Cassidy flew back to their home in Miami on October 12. Four days before, he tragically fell to his death from the balcony of his suite on the third floor.
