Originally from Iran, Mahshid Mohammadi, is a Canadian citizen attending medical school in the United States.
She has been traveling between Canada and the United States since 2011, tending to her husband and son in Canada while completing her schooling in the U.S.
While home visiting her family and renewing her visa at the U.S Embassy this past May, the embassy informed her that her visa issuance was under administrative processing.
Months went by, and Mohammadi heard nothing from the embassy. She became worried something was wrong with her visa when the embassy asked for her husband’s passport and other paperwork on his behalf.
In light of the delays, Mohammadi expressed concerns about completing her residency and graduating on time to her residency program manager at the Connecticut Institute for Families Inc. in Danbury.
From there, her program manager recommended she reach out to Esty’s office for help. Esty contacted the State Department to inquire what had caused the administrative processing, according to a release.
The State Department reported it had no reason on record for the visa renewal issue, and Esty worked with the State Department to speed up the renewal process.
As a result, the State Department finally processed Mohammadi’s visa, and asked Mohammadi and her husband to bring their passports to the embassy to complete all the necessary paperwork.
Once it was completed, Mohammadi’s visa issuance concern was resolved, and she received her visa.
“To my surprise, after two weeks, I got a call from Congresswoman Esty. She was the most helpful, and told me that the issue for both me and my husband was resolved, and the U.S. Embassy in Canada just needed my passport. I am sure that without her precious help, I would not have been able to move on with my residency training, and keep my family together," said Mohammadi.
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