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Home / World

Melbourne boy, 15, is the only person in his class not allowed to travel to US for school trip to 'space camp'

Daily Mail
31 Jan, 2017 02:59 AM3 mins to read

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Pouya Ghadirian, who was born in Australia and holds dual Iranian-Australian citizenship by descent, was planning to go on his dream trip to 'space camp' in Alabama. Photo / Channel 9

Pouya Ghadirian, who was born in Australia and holds dual Iranian-Australian citizenship by descent, was planning to go on his dream trip to 'space camp' in Alabama. Photo / Channel 9

A Melbourne schoolboy trying to visit the United States said consulate staff were "very apologetic" when they rejected his visa under "the President's orders".

Pouya Ghadirian, who was born in Australia and holds dual Iranian-Australian citizenship by descent, was planning to go on his dream trip to 'space camp' in Alabama.

But just before his visa interview on Monday, the 15-year-old selective state school student was told his application had been rejected 'due to the new presidential proclamation'.

"As someone who was born in Australia and hasn't lived anywhere else but Melbourne, I didn't expect to not be let into the US,' Pouya told the Today Show on Tuesday.

"I was quite upset actually."

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Pouya said the Consulate office were very apologetic, but were unable to help him further.

"They said that it was the president's order and they had no control," he said.

The teenager, who attends Melbourne High School, said he hopes the Turnbull government can clear the ban as he fears those with sick relatives in the US could be disallowed from visiting.

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"I won't get into any politics and I'm not taking any sides. But I just think that this policy should be reviewed very fast within the next few days," he said.

Pouya was planning to go on space camp, a dream trip to the US with his school, where he would visit Orlando in Florida, Washington, and the US Space & Rocket Center in Alabama.

His visa interview was set for Monday morning.

But on arriving at the US Consulate office in Melbourne with his dad, things soon turned sour after the consulate officers said the rules had changed.

"They were a bit shocked and they didn't know how to handle it. They said they had terrible news," he says.

"They said it was the first time it had happened in an Australian embassy.

Pouya, who is beginning his Year 11 studies at Melbourne High School this week, says he and his dad reacted emotionally to the news.

"I cried at the consulate and I don't normally," he says.

"[My dad] was upset as well because he was saying, 'look we've had no criminal record and we've done nothing wrong'.

"I have an Australian citizenship. I was born here. It doesn't make sense and it can't be right."

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Trump has issued an executive order banning the US from taking in people from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

On Monday, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refused to comment on Trump's controversial ban on Muslim-majority travel to the United States

"It's not my job as Prime Minister of Australia to run a commentary on the domestic policies of other countries," Mr Turnbull said.

But on Tuesday Mr Turnbull said he confirmed with White House that Australian passport holders, including dual nationals, can enter the United States.

"Australian passport holders will be able to travel to the United States in the same way they were able to prior to the executive order," Mr Turnbull told Sky News.

The US Embassy has been contacted for comment.

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