A 62-year-old doctor from Virginia has been stripped of his US citizenship because his father worked as an Indian diplomat in Iran. His citizenship was revoked in February this year when Siavash Sobhani applied for a new passport.
According to the Washington Post, Sobhani received a letter from the State Department, informing him that children born to diplomatic parents in the United States cannot obtain citizenship. The doctor was told that he had been ‘mistakenly’ granted US citizenship as a child. It directed him to a website where he could apply for lawful permanent residence.
“It was a shock to me,” Mr. Sobhani told the Washington Post. “I’m a doctor. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve paid my taxes. I’ve voted for presidents. I’ve served my community in Northern Virginia. During COVID, I was at work, Was putting himself at risk, putting his family at risk. So when 61 years later you are told, ‘Oh, mistake, you are no longer an American citizen,’ it’s really shocking. ‘
Sobhani has spent $40,000 on legal fees. But it’s not the money that worries him. The inability to travel as a citizen of one country distresses him. “I’m waiting for an interview, but does that mean I’ll wait another year for an interview? Then another three years for the next phase? Then it will take another 10 years before I can travel out of the country?” He said.
Sobhani is in the final stages of his career and plans to retire soon. At 62, he and his wife plan to explore other countries and found a community of their own. However, with the new development, he cannot travel or meet his friends and family living abroad.
