Dear USCIS / DHS / DOS / Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA)/  US Consular Sections in Ankara, Dubai, and Yerevan;

I am writing to you with a pressing concern regarding the Iranian F-1 visa application process in the US Consular Sections in Ankara, Dubai, and Yerevan, which are three locations primarily offered by the Official U.S. Department of State Visa Appointment Service. We have noticed an increasing trend of companies and individuals reserving visa interview slots without having an I-20 admission in hand. This has led to a black market in Iran, where some third parties charge applicants exorbitant rates to schedule visa appointments using a bot that quickly secures any available time slot, even for those who have not applied for grad school yet. This situation has made it difficult for genuine applicants who have their I-20 in hand.

We strongly believe that this situation can be simply remedied with linking F-1 visa interview appointment to an I-20 number at the time of reservation. We propose that US embassies send a communication to all current individuals with scheduled visa appointments, requesting them to add their I-20 number to their appointment, and stating that this number cannot be changed later. This would be an initial step towards implementing the recommended system and would also help to identify genuine applicants. This way individuals who have reserved appointments without an I-20 number would not be able to comply with this request and would be forced to cancel their appointment, helping to free up appointment slots for genuine applicants and discourage the practice of reserving appointments without admission. This viable solution would also prevent companies using bots from monopolizing the system and profiting from it.

Additionally, we suggest that US embassies consider implementing a more robust mechanism to prevent bot activity. This could include implementing a CAPTCHA or two-factor authentication system or utilizing more advanced AI-based tools to detect and block bot activity.

By implementing these solutions, you will ensure that the visa application process remains fair and accessible to all applicants, without giving undue advantage to those who exploit the system. We urge you to consider this proposal seriously and take appropriate action to safeguard the integrity of the visa application process.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your prompt action in this regard.

Sincerely,

Ehsan Fereyduni (on behalf of all the individuals who have signed this petition)

Technology Development Engineer at Intel (Portland, OR)

Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of Florida (Class of 2020)

—-

For individuals, organizations, and local or national news seeking further information, interviews, or any other inquiries regarding this petition, please direct your correspondence to my email address at iranf1visa@gmail.com. I would be pleased to provide additional information and address any concerns you may have. Thank you. Ehsan