Belated answer to my own question:
As Crazydre correctly states, Switzerland is almost certainly the easier option and that’s what we went with.
However, he ended up applying for a US visa for a second trip, and long story short, while it took about two months to process and requires a bit of paperwork (translations of exemption from military service etc), he received the US visa on the first attempt and there were no notable complications along the way. So it’s by no means impossible for Iranians to visit the US.
Switzerland hands down.
The US is extremely strict in demanding substantial proof of ties to the country of the applicant’s residence. Each time they take in an applicant for an interview, their mindset is: “alright, this guy is trying to become an illegal immigrant, unless he convinces me otherwise”.
Furthermore, as a Middle Easterner your application is likely (though possibly somewhat less if an Australian PR) to be taken for the dreaded “administrative processing”. From then on it could well be months or even a year before you finally get a decision.
Schengen visas, on the other hand, are relatively straightforward: provided you present a credible bona fide itinerary, along with adequate funds for your stay, you will usually get it without much hassle.
So I’d go with Switzerland, definitely
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
4 Mar, 2024
4 Mar, 2024
4 Mar, 2024