Doctor born in US loses US citizenship after authorities discover administrative mix up
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A doctor who was born in the United States and has lived his entire 61 years in the country – and has renewed his American passport multiple times – has just been denied American citizenship after the authorities discovered he was not qualified for the status at birth.
Siavash Sobhani, who practices in North Virginia, told The Washington Post that after he applied for a new passport in February, he received a letter from the US State Department saying he should not have been granted citizenship at birth because his father was a diplomat at the Iranian Embassy at the time.
The letter said those born in the US to parents who have diplomatic immunity do not acquire American citizenship at birth, clarifying Sobhani enjoyed diplomatic immunity from the jurisdiction of the US at the time of his birth and so he did not acquire citizenship.
However, for Sobhani who has practiced medicine for more than 30 years, this is the first time he has encountered this issue. Throughout his life, the US State Department has reconfirmed he was an American citizen over and over again every time his passport was renewed.
Sobhani recently turned 62 and had started to think about retirement. He and his wife had planned to spend the year exploring other countries in hopes of finding a community where they could buy a home.
Now he has to follow the instructions given by the State Department and apply for lawful permanent residence.
He told The Washington Post he has already spent more than $40,000 on legal fees and has no idea as to when his case might be resolved.
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Future ahead unclear
“I’m waiting for an interview, but does that mean I wait another year for an interview? Then another three years for the next step? Then another 10 years before I can travel outside of the country?” he told The Post, per reporting by India Today.
He has also written to his Congressional representative and the Virginia Senator requesting their help.
Following Sobhani’s letter, Gerald Edward Connolly, the representative for Virginia’s 11th congressional district, wrote to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on his behalf.
The future ahead is unclear for Sobhani as he cannot safely live in Iran because he has spoken out against the government. He is also unsure whether he will have a passport in time to attend his son’s wedding in Portugal next year.
He cannot even visit his father-in-law, who lives in Lebanon and is seriously ill.
As he deals with the “shocking” news, Sobhani told The Washington Post he hopes his citizenship will be restored within six months.
