Siavash Sobhani, 62, of Northern Virginia, found he was stateless when he tried to get his United States passport renewed. He was shocked to hear that he had been wrongfully granted US citizenship as a baby, despite the fact that he had been born in the nation, studied there, and practised medicine for over 30 years. “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,” Siavash Sobhani added.
He was not aware of this particular issue until February 2023, when he decided to renew his passport
According to a State Department official, Siavash Sobhani’s father was an Iranian diplomat who should not have been granted citizenship at the time of his birth. The letter made it plain that children born in the country to parents with diplomatic immunity do not automatically become US citizens. Surprisingly, Siavash Sobhani had already applied to renew his passport. He revealed that he had previously renewed his passport successfully. He further stated that every time his passport was renewed during his life, documentation that he was a US citizen was presented.
He was not aware of this particular issue until February 2023, when he decided to renew his passport, which was going to expire in June, in preparation for a trip with his family in July. Siavash Sobhani informed the portal that he had previously applied for citizenship and had spent over $40,000 (approximately Rs 34 lakh) in legal expenses using the information provided by the official. However, he is still unclear about his future. Siavash Sobhani is now awaiting an interview with State Department officials. He also hopes he doesn’t have to wait too long for an interview. Reportedly, the 62-year-old doctor had been thinking about retiring, and he and his spouse had intended to travel throughout this year. However, he is currently unable to even see his ill father-in-law, who resides in Lebanon.