Challenges in Obtaining US Visas for Iranian Students

American universities are a destination for Iranian students, especially those looking to continue their education in master's and doctoral programs. Although statistics from The Guardian indicate a significant decrease in the number of students compared to the pre-revolution period of 1979, this number seems to be increasing, reaching over 11,000 students in the past two years. These students contributed more than $300 million to the US economy in 2014, according to the Institute of International Education. However, as initially reported by The Guardian on Thursday, dozens of these students are facing difficulties returning to classes in the US. Saeed, one of these students, returned to Iran 37 months ago to visit his family after five years of study, and despite his university and a Massachusetts senator following up on his case, he has still not been able to obtain a visa to enter the US. He has maintained contact with his advisor in the US and remains hopeful about returning for his doctoral defense. "I was almost ready for my defense; I intended to go to Iran before my defense because if I entered the job market afterward, I might have less opportunity for leave and perhaps not be a student anymore. After five years without seeing my family, I wanted to be in Iran for a month or two and then return, but now it has turned out this way." More than five years ago, the US government announced new decisions regarding Iranian students. At that time, Hillary Clinton, who was the US Secretary of State, mentioned changes made to Iranian student visas, stating that they could now receive a two-year multiple-entry visa instead of a three-month visa. The then Secretary of State described this decision as part of the US's desire to engage more with those shaping Iran's future. However, this decision does not seem to have resolved the issues for Iranian students. Alongside students who have applied for visas at US embassies in cities like Ankara, Yerevan, Beirut, or Dubai and are still waiting, another group has remained in the US for years, fearing they would not be able to obtain a visa again after traveling to Iran. Rambod, a young Iranian artist living in Chicago, has not traveled to Iran for four years due to this concern: "I don't exactly know what is happening in Iran, but I hear everything is changing. Even though I Skype, Viber, and Telegram every day, and I know what is happening, experiencing it is different. For instance, when a family member passes away, expressing your feelings about that death feels surreal, and there is no clear emotion about it because you only heard the news. I experienced this last year, and my feelings were not normal at all." Meanwhile, when the US Secretary of State spoke about facilitating the visa process for Iranian students five years ago, one of the reasons for granting multiple-entry visas was to allow travel to Iran for family visits, internships, and travel outside the US. Siamak Aram, head of the Sharif University Alumni Association in Washington, said there was hope that recent diplomatic movements between Iran and the US, especially the nuclear agreement, would improve the situation for students. However, according to him, the challenges faced by students have not only not improved but have worsened. "One reason is that public sensitivity increased due to the JCPOA and events that promised changes in international relations. Part of this is that people and the academic community are following this issue more closely. Another part is that this is actually happening. Recently, we held a biennial gathering of Sharif alumni in the Washington DC area, and nearly 300 people either did not receive visas or faced such delays in visa issuance that they could not attend the gathering. It is unprecedented for this number of elites or graduates, especially from Sharif University, which has many alumni studying in the US and a clear history, to face this issue. This is unprecedented." In response to these reports about the problems faced by Iranian students, the US State Department told Radio Farda that "its embassies and consulates prioritize processing student visa applications," but emphasized that "embassies and consulates must ensure that applicants do not pose a security threat to the US before issuing student visas." The State Department also added that students can now receive visas 120 days before the start of their studies and urged applicants to act as soon as possible regarding this matter.