The Guardian:

More than 100 top Iranian students admitted to US and Canadian universities have missed their first semester and fear losing their hard-fought bursaries or funding because of visa difficulties.

Students from some of Iran’s most prestigious academic institutions told the Guardian that they could not continue their education this autumn because they had not received their visas yet despite waiting several months.

Iranian nationals hold one of the world’s most unloved passports and are often obliged go to extra lengths when applying to obtain visas, particularly from western countries.

A database of nearly 100 applicants, compiled by the students themselves, shows that the majority have waited for more than four months and are still to receive a decision. At least three students in that list have waited for more than nine months.

The US and Canada have tightened visa regulations in recent years and the long administrative processing is due to rigorous security and background checks that are required for all Iranian nationals. Many Iranians complain that such collective scrutiny of ordinary applicants amounts to politically charged discrimination...

Go to link