Amongst the multitude of heart breaking stories surrounding the enforcement of President Trump’s Executive Order which banned entrance to visitors from seven Muslim nations, was a story of a jeopardised school trip of a lifetime. Pouya Ghadirian of Melbourne was born in Austrailia but holds dual citizenship with his parent’s nation of Iran. Pouya is 15 years old and was looking forward to a trip to the USA in March, which would take in Orlando, Washington and the US Space and Rocket Centre in Alabama. However, on attempting to secure a visa at the American Embassy Pouya was denied consent to travel to the US on the grounds of his dual citizenship with the barred nation of Iran. It is believed he is the first Australian to be denied a visa under the now suspended order. Pouya broke down at the Embassy amongst what he later described as a group of embarrassed officials who said they had not yet had to deny an Australian. Pouya said it was wrong anyone should be denied.
President Trump has now seen his Executive Order suspended after two defeats in the courts. Judges ruled that it was unconstitutional and that the damage it inflicted on the US economy and populous far outweighed any threat it claimed to curb. Thousands protested the ban at US airports, major cities and around the world. However President Trump has vowed to redraft the order which means Pouya could still be denied his visa and prevented from accompanying his friends on this dream trip.
If President Trump enforces a new executive order, multicultural nations such as the UK could find school trips scuppered for the same reasons as Iranian-Australian Pouya. Number 10 has taken steps to reassure Britons with dual nationality that they will not be held at the US border, provided they are traveling from the UK. This reassurance may prove insufficient however, when Australian nationals traveling from Australia are denied a visa. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson believed he had secured clarification but contradictory information continues to come from the American embassy.
Handsam has country specific information, covering conditions of entry and additional considerations for trip planning. See our America guidance here and more about visas. Also find out more about the biometric passport conditions which must be met to enter the US.
