A 62-year-old doctor found out he was stateless after he applied for a renewal of his US passport. Siavash Sobhani was born in the US, went to school, and has practiced medicine in the country for more than 30 years. So, it came as a shock to him when an official informed him that Sobhani was granted US citizenship by mistake when he was an infant.
“This was a shock to me,” Sobhani, who turned 62 this month, told the Washington Post. “I’m a doctor. I’ve been 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, putting myself at risk, putting my family at risk. So when you’re told after 61 years, ‘Oh there was a mistake, you’re no longer a US citizen,’ it’s really, really shocking.”
According to a letter from a State Department official, Sobhani should not have been granted citizenship at the time of his birth because his father was a diplomat with the Embassy of Iran. Those born in the United States to parents who have diplomatic immunity do not acquire US citizenship at birth, the letter pointed out.
Interestingly, however, this wasn't the first time that Sobhani applied for a passport renewal. He told the Washington Post that he had his passport renewed his passport several times previously without facing any difficulty.
He also pointed out that the fact that he was indeed a US citizen was confirmed over and over again throughout his life, every time his passport was renewed.
It was only in February -- when he decided to renew his passport which was set to expire in June for a family trip in July -- did he come across this unique problem. Sobhani told the publication that he has already applied for citizenship using the details shared by the official and has spent more than $40,000 (about Rs 34 lakh) on legal fees but is unsure of his future.
“I’m waiting for an interview, but does that mean I wait another year for an interview?” he told the Washington Post. “Then another three years for the next step? Then another 10 years before I can travel outside of the country?”
At 62, the doctor has already been considering retirement and he and his wife planned to spend this year exploring other countries but now, he can’t even visit his father-in-law who lives in Lebanon and is seriously ill.
“If he passes away, I can’t even go to his funeral,” Sobhani said.
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