Immigration Struggle Ends as 21 Savage Obtains 'Lawful Permanent Resident' Status in the U.S.

21 Savage is finally free to travel abroad after resolving his immigration issues. The rapper announced on Instagram that he is now a "lawful permanent resident" of the U.S. and can visit his birthplace of London for the first time in 21 years. He teased his fans with a possible concert in the U.K., saying "London, I'm comin home" over the song "Coming Home" by Skylar Grey. Drake, who collaborated with 21 Savage on the It's All a Blur tour, commented "We're," implying that he might join him on stage.

21 Savage, whose real name is She'yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Atlanta in February 2019. They revealed that he was born in the U.K. and overstayed his visa after arriving in the U.S. as a teenager. He spent a week in an ICE detention center before being released on bond and allowed to stay in the country while his case was pending.

His immigration lawyer, Charles H. Kuck, said in a statement that 21 Savage followed "all applicable Immigration laws since his initial detention by ICE." He added that his immigration court proceedings have been terminated and he has the freedom to travel internationally.

21 Savage has been touring the U.S. with Drake, but was unable to perform outside the country, including in Canada. He has never performed internationally before, as he has not left the U.S. in 21 years.

He told the AP in a 2019 interview that he did not know what a visa was when his mother brought him to the U.S. at age 7. He also said that immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children should automatically become citizens, as the visa application process is too complicated and stressful.

Drake hinted at the end of 21 Savage's immigration troubles on the For All the Dogs track "8 AM in Charlotte," rapping "Savage got a green card straight out of the consulate/Where I go, you go, brother, we Yugoslavian."