Siavash Sobani, a physician and longtime resident of North Virginia, has had his citizenship revoked at the age of 61.
Sobani, who was born in the United States, told The Washington Post that when he applied for a new passport in February, he received a letter from the U.S. State Department stating that his father was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy and should not have been a citizen at birth.
The letter stated that children born in the U.S. to parents who enjoy diplomatic immunity do not automatically become U.S. citizens. According to the letter, Sovani did not acquire citizenship because he enjoyed diplomatic immunity from U.S. jurisdiction at birth.
However, this is the first time Sovani has faced this problem in his more than 30 years of practicing medicine. During his lifetime, each time his passport was reissued, the U.S. State Department reaffirmed that he was a U.S. citizen.
Siavash Sobani, who recently turned 62, was beginning to think about retirement. He and his spouse had planned to travel around the world for a year in search of an area where they could buy a home.
He must now apply for lawful permanent residence and meet State Department guidelines.
According to the Washington Post, he has already incurred more than US$40,000 in legal fees and does not know when the case will be settled.
‘I’m waiting for an interview, but does that mean I have to wait another year for an interview? Another three years until the next step? Then another 10 years until he can travel out of the country?
In addition, he has written to Virginia’s elected senators and congressmen, asking for their support.
Congressman Gerald Edward Connolly, who represents Virginia’s 11th District, corresponded with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of the doctor after Sobani’s letter.
Searbash Sobani’s future is uncertain because of his statements against the Iranian regime and his inability to live safely in Iran. In addition, he does not know if his passport will be ready in time to travel to Portugal for his son’s wedding the following year.
The doctor cannot even see his seriously ill father-in-law who lives in Lebanon.
