Canadian citizenship no barrier to LSAT ban tied to U.S. Iran sanctions
UBC students with Iranian dual citizenship had their law school exam access blocked this week, forcing appeals to restore test dates.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shirin Basiri, a UBC recent graduate and Canadian citizen, saw her LSAT test cancelled mid-week because of her Iranian citizenship. The test administrator, LSAC, is subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibit providing services to Iranian citizens or residents — a rule that applies regardless of where someone lives or what passport they hold.
Basiri's test date was reinstated after an appeal, but only with days to spare. "It was just mind-boggling to me that I could potentially be sanctioned from taking a test in my own home country to go to law school in my own home country because of a foreign sanction," she said.
Almost every law school in Canada requires the LSAT, which is considered the gold standard for applicant evaluation. Tanya Behzadan, another UBC senior and dual citizen, also lost access to the exam but regained it through appeal. "I think it might be a good idea to have some extra ways for students to apply to law school other than the LSAT," Behzadan said.
UBC is closely monitoring the situation and working to explore potential solutions. University of Victoria has committed to ensuring affected applicants are not unfairly disadvantaged and will waive the LSAT requirement for students impacted by the sanctions. The exact number of prospective law students in Canada affected remains unclear, as does how many remain unable to write the test.
How many Canadian law school applicants have been locked out of the LSAT by these sanctions?
Will other Canadian law schools follow University of Victoria's lead in waiving the LSAT requirement for affected students?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
Why were some UBC students blocked from taking the LSAT?
LSAC, the test administrator, is subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibit providing services to Iranian citizens or residents, regardless of their current nationality or residence.
What did University of Victoria do to support affected students?
University of Victoria committed to waiving the LSAT requirement for students impacted by the sanctions to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged.
How many Canadian law students have been affected by this LSAT ban?
The exact number of prospective law students in Canada affected by the sanctions remains unclear, as does how many are still unable to write the test.
