Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 ...
On August 10, 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the “Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012” (H.R. 1905). Section 501 excludes Iranian students from seeking education in fields related to the nuclear or energy sector if the student intends to pursue a career in that field in Iran. Supplementary guidance for stakeholders is forthcoming and we will notify you of any relevant updates on our website. Please note that this is a new law so it is unclear how broadly a “related” field will be defined. Until supplementary guidance is issued, we advise our students from Iran to refrain from traveling outside the U.S.
The “Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act” was enacted August 10, 2012. According to Section 501, Iranian citizens are ineligible for U.S. visas if they are seeking to enter the U.S. to participate in coursework at an institution of higher education for a career in Iran’s:
Petroleum sector;
Natural gas sector;
Nuclear energy sector; or,
Nuclear science field; or,
Nuclear engineering field.
Examples of fields of study that render a visa applicant ineligible include:
Petroleum engineering;
Petroleum management;
Nuclear science;
Nuclear engineering; or,
A related field.
Individuals seeking to study in other fields, such as business, management or computer science, but who intend to use these skills in Iran’s oil, natural gas or nuclear energy sectors are also ineligible for visas. Consular officers will review each visa application submitted on or after August 10, 2012, to determine if the applicant is ineligible for a visa under this provision