US Student Visa Interview in Iran: Consulates, Wait Times, and Refusal Reasons

The current status: visa issuance is suspended

Since January 1, 2026, Presidential Proclamation 10998 has fully suspended both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance to Iranian nationals, a category that includes the F-1 student visa. The order sets no expiration date. It requires the Secretary of State to review the suspension every 180 days and recommend whether to continue, end, or change it.

This is a shift from the travel restrictions in place during 2017-2021, which barred most Iranian travelers but still allowed F-1 and J-1 visas after extra screening. The 2026 order removes that carve-out. If you hold Iranian nationality only, plan around the fact that a new F-1 visa is not available right now, and confirm the current status directly on travel.state.gov before making decisions tied to a specific date.

Exceptions written into the order

• Lawful permanent residents of the United States.

• Dual nationals of Iran and another country, when they travel on a passport issued by the other, non-restricted country.

• Certain diplomatic and international-organization visa holders.

• People already granted asylum or refugee status.

If you hold a second nationality, this exception is worth checking closely with an immigration attorney or your target university's international office, since eligibility depends on the exact passport and documentation you present.

How interviews worked before the ban, for context

The United States has had no embassy in Iran since 1980. Iranian applicants historically interviewed at US posts in other countries, commonly Ankara, Yerevan, Dubai, or Abu Dhabi, after securing an appointment and often traveling internationally twice: once for the interview and again after any administrative processing cleared.

Even before the current suspension, Iranian F-1 applicants faced administrative processing under Section 221(g) more often than most other applicants, especially in STEM fields subject to extra security screening. That processing commonly added months to a case beyond the interview date. None of this applies while the full suspension is active, but it explains why past applicants from Iran reported such long timelines.

Why past applications were often refused or delayed

Before the current suspension, two categories explained most Iranian F-1 outcomes. A refusal under INA Section 214(b) meant the officer was not convinced you intended to return to Iran after your studies, the same standard applied to every F-1 applicant worldwide. A hold under Section 221(g) was not a refusal. It meant your case needed extra administrative processing, often a security or technology-related review, before a decision.

Both standards still exist in US immigration law. Neither matters while the broader visa suspension blocks new F-1 issuance to Iranian nationals entirely, but expect one or both to resurface if the policy changes at a future 180-day review.

What to do while the suspension is active

1. Keep pursuing admission and funding. Neither depends on your visa status, and many schools defer enrollment for admitted students unable to travel yet.

2. Ask your target school's international student office how they handle deferrals tied to the current entry restrictions.

3. If you hold or qualify for a second nationality, get advice from an immigration attorney about whether the dual-national exception fits your situation.

4. Check travel.state.gov and studyinthestates.dhs.gov around each 180-day review point rather than relying on news summaries alone.

Sources

• Proclamation 10998, The White House
• NAFSA summary of the December 2025 proclamation