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‘This isn't just about a visa. It's about lost futures': Job offers for Iranian scientists in Ireland hit roadblock
Some of
Iran
's top medical and scientific professionals say they are 'desperate' to take up work offers in Ireland but are being thwarted by inordinate and 'discriminatory' delays in visas being processed by the Department of Justice's immigration services.
Following overnight strikes by Israel against Iran, many say their desperation to take up posts in Ireland has only intensified.
Universities and hospitals which want to employ them say delays of up to 20 months are 'very disappointing', 'just wrong' and 'incongruous' given the need for the cohort's skills.
Delays have jeopardised important research projects, they add.
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'Iranian visas [are] just not getting through, at all,' one PhD supervisor said.
Job offers to Iranians, including in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, artificial intelligence and financial software development, have had to be withdrawn due to extreme delays.
One Dublin hospital said delays were impacting on its 'ability to fill critical posts' and putting 'added pressure on existing teams'.
In recent weeks The Irish Times has been contacted by dozens of highly educated Iran-based academics and critical-skills workers who, having submitted documents to support applications for permits to take up fully funded or critical-skills positions months ago, have yet to receive decisions or even updates.
Prof Mohammad Reza Shiri-Shahsava at the Qazvin University of Medical Sciences says visa processing times for Iranian PhD candidates have increased from about two months to over a year since early 2024.
'We remain committed to contributing to Ireland's research and workforce development,' he said. 'We believe expedited decisions serve mutual interests, because we are not refugees but rather highly skilled professionals.'
Prof Shiri-Shahsava and Assistant Professor Saber Azami-Aghdash at the Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, were offered research positions last year in the
UCD
Clinical Research Centre under the supervision of Professor Peter Doran. They have not received decisions on their visas, however.
'We advertised the posts spring last year and these two candidates were really impressive. We were really excited to get them,' said Prof Doran. 'These are really top professionals. There is big effort to increase our clinical research and these are exactly the type of people we need.
'They would be working with the team on developing novel designs for clinical research. Their posts are fully funded by the Health Research Board,' said Prof Doran. 'It's really unbelievable that a year on they still have no decision on their visa applications. Not even an update. It's lousy and it's wrong.'
Others waiting without news include Bahareh Karimi Douna, offered a fully funded PhD post at UCD's School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, under the supervision of Prof Wim G Meijer. She applied for a visa a year ago.
'Losing this opportunity would shatter years of preparation, sacrifice and shared dreams,' she said.
Bahareh Karimi Douna was offered a funded PhD at UCD's School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science a year ago
Prof Meijer said Ms Douna came 'top out of over 115 applications from all over the world'. He called for 'clarity' on what is happening with Iranian candidates' visa applications.
Maedeh Vahedpour, was offered a fully funded PhD position at the
Technological University of the Shannon
(TUS) in December 2023, but lost it in the absence of a decision on her visa.
'We were really impressed with her skills and abilities,' said Dr Lena Madden, senior fellow at TUS. 'However, the position had to be withdrawn as there was no progress in Maedeh's visa after 18 months and contacting the visa office numerous times to stress our urgency and offer reassurances of the university's commitment to host Maedeh. We were very disappointed.'
For Ms Vahedpour, the impact has been 'devastating ... This isn't just about a visa. It's about basic human dignity and lost futures,' she said.
Dr Leila Ziaee Barsalan, was offered a registrar post in the emergency department of
St Vincent's University Hospital
, Dublin in late 2023. She applied for a work permit in December 2023.
'Still there is no response. I cannot tell you the level of pressure and stress I have been through since past 17 months and no one is responding properly about where the issue is.
'Last October 2024 they cancelled my job offer, after waiting for me so long. I have been passing some very hard days, but especially after last night's bombs, I am very desperate,' she told The Irish Times on Friday.
A hospital spokeswoman could not comment on Dr Barsalan's case but said 'timely recruitment and onboarding of international staff is essential in ensuring continuity of care and supporting clinical service delivery, particularly in areas such as emergency medicine where demand remains high.
'Delays in visa processing can, at times, impact our ability to fill critical posts promptly and place added pressure on existing teams.'
The issue has led to protests outside the newly opened Irish consulate in Tehran earlier this year.
Protesters outside the Irish consulate in Tehran earlier this year
Asked if there were particular issues with Iranian visa applications, how long they were taking to process and why applicants were not being provided with updates during delays, a spokesman for the Department of Justice said there had been a 21 per cent increase in visa applications last year compared with 2023, to more than 35,000.
There were 1,111 applications from Iran last year, with decisions made on 756, and to June 11th this year decisions made on 359 of the 518 received.
