VISA UPDATE: Following a flurry of media attention, students from Afghanistan and Gambia entering the FIRST Global’s international robotics competition, held in the United States, received their visas, according to reports from Politico and Al Jazeera.
The Gambian team (including five students) and the Afghanistan team (including six girls), were initially rejected by the United States embassy for visas. However, the embassy interviewed the students again and granted the visas after a push from President Trump, Politico reports.
The Afghan students were issued a visa with a parole status of 10 days, which officials told Politico is only granted in “exceptional circumstances.”
