Behdad Masihtehrani hasn't been to his home in Iran in more than three years.
Because Masihtehrani (graduate-industrial engineering) only has a single-entry student visa into the United States, it is difficult for him to go home. If he were to leave there would be a chance he could be held in Iran for up to six months, endangering his studies in the states.
Therefore, many international students like Masihtehrani choose not to travel home, Director of International Student Services at Penn State Negar Davis said.
It can take more than six months to get a return visa to the United States after returning to a country such as Iran, Davis said. Because of these difficulties, students stay in contact with families by telephone and e-mail, returning home after they complete their studies.
"The scrutiny these students have to endure upon entering the United States is not very welcoming when they have to endure such hardships. Sometimes students are in such fear of losing their visas, they forgo going home in extreme circumstances," Davis said.
More than 3,900 students here at Penn State are international students from more than 150 different countries. The United States is the number one destination for anyone studying outside his or her country, Davis said, despite the fact it's not always easy to come here or get home.
"I am lucky that my parents can visit me and visited me last year. I know many of my friends whose parents cannot get visas, and he couldn't risk his visa and PhD to go home," said Masihtehrani, who is president of the Iranian Student Association.
In one extreme case, Masihtehrani said one of his friends faced more than six-month wait to return to the United States.
"As an Iranian, that is something that I fear more. In other countries, they have multiple entry visas and may be able to get back into the country more easily," Masihtehrani said.
Visas are a main concern for the international student, Davis said.
To obtain a student visa, international students must first apply to a university, Davis said. Once admitted they will be given a visa document from the school -- an I-20 form -- which they must then take to the United States Embassy in their country to receive a student visa.
Every situation varies, Davis said.
"It depends on the situation and the countries," Davis said. "It depends on the individuals, the major, if they require more in-depth background check."
Davis said things have improved since about 2006. However, there is still the occasional situation of students' having a hard time getting back into the United States after returning home.
"In light of the events of 2001, the countries that usually are faced with problems are the Muslim students and backgrounds," Davis said.
Eunha Kim, a psychologist for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said she's seen Chinese and Middle Eastern students with troubles involving visas, notably those from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
"I found a lot of times, [international students] don't really have good knowledge of what the policy is, so we refer them to the international office," Kim said.
Kim said she's seen international students unable to go home for three to four years.
CAPS offers individual counseling and soon to-be-offered group counseling in order to help international students cope with visa issues, homesickness and academics, Kim said.
