Following recent changes in federal immigration policy, Iranian students at Clemson have been forced to put their post-graduation plans on pause.
On December 2, 2025, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it would implement a hold on all pending benefit applications for all foreign nationals from a list of “high-risk countries,” according to Policy Memorandum 602-0192.
Individuals from these nations who currently reside in the United States on student visas may submit an application for employment authorization, but will not receive a final adjudication, according to an additional policy memorandum from January 2026.
Additionally, they will not be able to pursue optional professional training, which helps them kickstart their careers.
Due to a variety of reasons, Iranian students are at risk of losing their current status in the U.S. The current conflict between the U.S. and Iran, as well as threats made by the Iranian government, such as “severe punishment, denaturalization, and confiscation of properties,” has made returning home to Iran unsafe, one Iranian Clemson student told The Tiger.
The students quoted in this article spoke with The Tiger on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of this issue.
Current USCIS policy has a significant impact on Iranian men and women attending Clemson, as the University is home to over 50 Iranian students who have built a community through the Iranian Student Association, advised by Behnaz Papari, Ph.D., an Iranian-American professor in the automotive engineering department.
President Trump emphasized his commitment to pursuing stricter immigration policy in a June 2025 proclamation. The proclamation included a list of 19 countries, including Iran, whose nationals are facing full or partial suspension of entry into the U.S.
Trump described Iran as a “state sponsor of terrorism” and stated that “Iran regularly fails to cooperate with the United States Government in identifying security risks.”
Nationals of other countries are barred from entering the U.S. for reasons such as a high overstay rate or a lack of central authority to issue passports. The same student claimed that visas for Iranian Americans are not on hold because of their violation of immigration laws, but instead for their nationality.
Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the U.S. has placed heavy sanctions on Iran, which have affected the economic situation, especially in the private sector.
Even with the complicated past, many “Iranians love Western cultures … because they find it closer to freedom,” the same student said.
In their home country, “people have no choice but to obey the government because the response to all peaceful movements was bullets,” the student continued, while the U.S. protects liberties such as freedom of speech, protest, peaceable assembly and more.
“We all love our country. We are proud of it, but due to economic situation, many of us have to leave,” the student said, noting that education is the most successful path to emigration.
To attend American universities such as Clemson, Iranian students undergo extensive vetting due to their nationality. Because there is no U.S. embassy in Iran, hopeful students must cross international borders to apply for their visa.
“Our intention has always been to contribute, not to take. We came to this country with hope,” another student wrote in correspondence with The Tiger.
“We followed every rule, respected the system, and worked tirelessly to build a meaningful life through education and research,” the second student continued. “Now, at the point where we are ready to give back even more, it feels as though everything we have worked for is uncertain, and the future we envisioned is slipping out of reach.”
Some students have worked for years in advanced studies to meet the qualifications for a national interest waiver, in order to demonstrate their ability to contribute to the U.S. and become lawful permanent residents. This program has been put on hold for Iranians.
Additionally, living disconnected from family takes an emotional toll, especially when the amount of time until the next visit is unknown, as many of the students The Tiger interviewed noted.
These students believe that the impacts of the immigration policy extend beyond themselves to the University community and the country.
“Strong placements, industry experience, and academic visibility all contribute to a university’s reputation,” a third student said, “When immigration-related barriers reduce these outcomes, the institution is affected too.”
Iranians educated in the United States have assimilated well, made research and economic contributions and love America, the students told The Tiger.
When asked what University administrators can do in this situation, the first student told The Tiger that “The University leadership board members can write a letter to USCIS in support of Iranian students at Clemson … that’s the best thing the University can do.”
