Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
2201 C Street
Washington, D.C. 20520
Subject: Multiple Entry Visa for Iranian Students
January 18, 2012
Dear Madam Secretary,
We are writing to you regarding the Iranian students who have recently received student visa, or are already in the United States on F-1 or J-1 visas.
While the new administration policy effective 20 May 2011 has gone a long way to alleviate the hardship that the Iranian students have been experiencing, the majority of Iranian students in the following two main categories are still excluded from the new ruling:
1. Students in engineering and science related disciplines which do not fall within the category indicated as “non-sensitive, non-technical fields of study and research”;
2- Students presently in the United States who entered the country prior to the announcement.
We recently conducted an informal survey among the Iranian students who had received student visa from May to December 2011. Data shows that only 20% of these students have actually received a multiple-entry visa. The percentage is even lower (14%) for students in science and engineering fields.
Moreover, from an estimated 5,000 Iranian students on F1 and J1 visas, only small numbers have left the U.S. to get the new Two-Year Multiple-Entry visa. The reason these students have given is the high risk of not getting a new visa to return on time, or the uncertain length of time needed for the security check.
We are reaching out to you again to ask for your help so these students can visit their families in Iran and attend academic conferences abroad without the fear of not being able to return on time for their studies.
Yours sincerely,
Fredun Hojabari, PhD
Former Professor and Academic Vice President
Sharif University of Technology
4106 Caminito Tersivo, San Diego, CA 92122
858- 457- 0032
Farideh Tehrani, DLS
President, Shiraz University Association (SUA)
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Farrokh Malihi
President, Sharif University of Technology Association (SUTA)
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First Letter to Secretary Clinton sent May 21, 2011
The Honorable
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, D.C. 20520
Subject: Announced new visa policy for Iranian students
May 21, 2011
Dear Madam Secretary,
As an Iranian-American I am delighted by the latest announcement by the State Department regarding the two-year multi-entry visa for Iranian students in support of President Obama’s policy toward improving relations with people of Iran.
After careful consideration of the new policy, it seems that while a positive step in the right direction, two issues need further deliberation:
1) The new policy is limited to “non-sensitive, non-technical fields of study and research”
2) The new policy does not apply to the Iranian students already in the United States and they have to leave the country and apply for a new visa to become eligible
As the former Vice Chancellor of Aryamehr University and past President of SUTA [Sharif University of Technology Association], it is my understanding that the majority of Iranian students already here or wishing to come, are interested in pursuing and continuing their educations in the fields of Science and Technology.
So, I am writing to you to kindly request a clarification of the terms of the new visa policy and urge you to consider removing the restrictions that cover the majority of Iranian students.
With warm regards,
Fredun Hojabri,
Former professor and Academic-Vice-president of Sharif University of Technology
4106 Caminito Terviso
San Diego, CA 92122
