Two Iranian students are barred from enrolling at UC San Diego after their visas were cancelled

[COLOR=var(--primaryTextColor)]The Iranian flag flies in front of a UN building where closed-door nuclear talks take place at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, Friday, July 4, 2014.
(AP Photo/Ronald Zak)


The cancellations may be part of wider effort to ban some foreigners from elite research schools

By GARY ROBBINS
SEP. 24, 2019 11:14 AM

UC San Diego confirmed on Tuesday that two Iranian students who were scheduled to enroll for the fall quarter have been barred from campus, possibly as part of a larger attempt by the U.S. to block foreigners from elite schools that specialize in engineering and computer science.

The New York Times reported on Friday that at least a dozen Iranian students headed for the U.S. had their visas canceled and were prevented from boarding flights to this country.

Many of the students were headed to graduate programs in the University of California system. A 23-year-old student identified only as Peyman told the Times that he felt “damaged emotionally, financially, academically” for being barred from UCSD, where classes begin on Thursday.

The visa cancellations occurred before Iran’s alleged attack on Saudi Arabian oil fields on Sept. 14.

The U.S. has been in a highly contentious, long-term effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The tension escalated in June when the U.S. accused Iran of attacking two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.

UCSD declined on Tuesday to discuss the two Iranian students who were scheduled to enroll in fall classes.

The University of California Office of the President also declined comment, other than to issue a statement that says the system “is concerned that a number of our international students were recently unable to travel from Iran to the United States to pursue their educational opportunities.

“We are doing everything we can for these students, including working with the U.S. State Department, U.S Customs and Border Protection and Capitol Hill to seek answers. UC has a deep commitment to providing a world-class education to all of our international students. Once they are enrolled at UC, we do everything possible to assist with their safe and timely arrival on campus, as well as to support them throughout their studies at the university.”


The U.S. State Department told the Union-Tribune in an email that it does not discuss individual visa cases, but added:

“There has been no policy change regarding student visas. International students are a priority for the Department of State, and we continue to welcome legitimate student visa applicants. Visas may be denied only on grounds set out in U.S. law.

Visa applicants are continuously screened, both at the time of their application and afterwards, to ensure they remain eligible to travel to the United States.”

UCSD has long been a magnet for international students, especially those who want a spot in the university’s highly ranked engineering and computer science programs. Those programs conduct research in many sensitive areas, including aircraft and drone design and operation, cybersecurity, and facial recognition software.

Last fall, the UC system enrolled 584 students from Iran, 82 of whom attended UCSD. The La Jolla campus also was home to 5,573 students from China.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...were-cancelled