In sum, the claim that Elon Musk was once an "illegal immigrant" in the U.S. is unproven. While Musk did joke about being in a "gray area" regarding his immigration status, the available evidence suggests that he followed a legal path through student visas and H-1B temporary employment visas. There is no credible evidence that he was ever fully "illegal" during his more than three decades in the U.S.