Passport renewal becomes a nightmare for US doctor. Here's what happened

A doctor in northern Virginia is no longer considered a citizen of the United States. The reason - the simple process of renewing a passport took a wrong turn. According to a report by The Washington Post on Sunday (Nov 25), Dr Siavash Sobhani was born in the US, went to university and practised medicine in the country for over 30 years. However, Dr Sobhani, 62, is now stateless.

Speaking to The Washington Post, Sobhani said “I’m in limbo." Sobhani, who specialises in internal medicine, had applied for a new passport in February and had no reason to expect that he would face any difficulties. He had renewed his passport multiple times.

Sobhani's passport was set to expire in June 2024, and he wanted to make sure it was renewed before his family took a trip a month later. However, he did not receive a new passport and lost his citizenship.

A letter from State Department 'shocks' Sobhani

As per the report, Sobhani received a letter from the US State Department which said that the 62-year-old should not have been granted citizenship at the time of his birth because his father was a diplomat with the Embassy of Iran. The letter directed him to a website from where he could apply for lawful permanent residence in the US.

“This was a shock to me,” he told the publication. "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," he added.

Sobhani applied for permanent residency as told and said he did not want to do anything that might upset government officials. He also said that he had spent over $40,000 on legal fees and still did not know when his case might be resolved.

A look back into family history

After receiving the letter from the State Department, Sobhani started digging into his family’s history. He discovered that his older brother, who was born in Kansas when their father was a military student, had a congenital condition that required surgery.

To extend the family's stay in the US, Sobhani's father got a temporary job at the Iranian Embassy and worked there in October and November 1961. A birth certificate showed that Sobhani was bornat Walter Reed Army Medical Center in November 1961.

He told The Washington Postthat when he was a child, he and his family lived in Turkey for several years before they returned to the US. Sobhani attended the Georgetown Preparatory School and later went on to earn degrees from George Washington University and Boston College before attending Georgetown Medical School.

He wrote letters to two Virginia senators, requesting their help. Sobhani said he had the utmost respect for American laws and pointed out that he dedicated his career to helping people in Virginia and the DC region and has been directly involved in the care of tens of thousands of lives, currently with an active patient panel of more than 3,000 patients.”

(With inputs from agencies)