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What it takes to be a Buckeye: How US policies impact Ohio State's Iranian student population
By Carter Kohli | Lantern TV Special Projects Producer
For aspiring Buckeyes from Iran, acceptance into Ohio State is only one step in a complicated and often challenging journey.
In addition to the application and acceptance stress facing their American peers, students from Iran must navigate a maze of visa restrictions, travel to a neighboring country for interviews and wait months for approval — all while political tensions and ever-evolving U.S. policies add additional layers of complexity.
Despite these challenges, the number of Iranian students at American universities has grown steadily, with Ohio State alone seeing an increase from 29 students in fall 2013 to 97 this semester. Experts highlight the distinct barriers these students face, from the difficulties of obtaining a student visa in Iran to the broader impact of government policies — often influenced by the United States’ relationship with Iran — on these students.
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Andrew Peiffer, a staff attorney at Ohio State’s Student Legal Services, said most of the international students he meets here at Ohio State have excellent immigration cases.
“The vast majority of my clients, students here at Ohio State, have squeaky clean records. They entered the country legally with usually a student visa,” Peiffer said. “They are highly qualified, future employees, and they don’t present any kinds of admissibility concerns along the lines of crime or national security or things like that. So I’m very fortunate in that most of the students that I work with have excellent resumes and more options than a lot of other people who are seeking immigration benefits.”
The number of Iranian students at Ohio State has grown from 29 in autumn 2013 to 97 in spring 2025. Credit: Carter Kohli | Lantern TV Special Projects Producer
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, a professor at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, said policy changes from one presidential administration to the next can change how willing the U.S. government is to issue student visas and how likely people are to apply.
“The more wrenches that the federal government throws in their path, the more likely they’re going to think hard about beginning their educational careers, perhaps even their professional careers, outside of the United States,” García Hernández said.
The number of student visas issued increased during former President Joe Biden’s time in office. Credit: Carter Kohli | Lantern TV Special Projects Producer
Peter Hahn, a professor in Ohio State’s Department of History, said the United States does not currently maintain diplomatic relations with Iran and is likely careful when screening Iranians looking to come to the United States.
“It’s probably fair to say that the security standards pertaining to applicants from Iran these days are going to be a little higher in America, a little more thoroughly investigated and enforced than applicants from other countries. Without that history of tension in the relationship with Washington,” Hahn said.