What’s your name?
Ramin Asgard
What does your profession entail?
I am a U.S. licensed Immigration Attorney, International Affairs Scholar, and Former U.S. Diplomat & Consular Officer. I consult and guide clients globally on their immigration journeys and conduct practice visa interviews for U.S. Embassy visa appointments. In all these roles, I focus on global engagement, connectivity, and conflict resolution.
What is a typical day like for you?
I wake up, review the latest news and incoming client messages and inquiries, and set up my schedule and priorities for the day. I then have a nice family breakfast and start my workday.
What is/are your Favorite memory?
The birth of my children.
The first time I met my beloved fiancé, and every day with her since.
Finding out that I was accepted to the Foreign Service and passing the bar exam.
Managing cultural exchanges as a diplomat.
Serving among the first American diplomatic personnel assigned to Afghanistan after the war.
Serving with CENTCOM Commanders General David Petraeus and General James Mattis, including traveling with them throughout our 20-country Area of Responsibility (AOR).
Assisting so many wonderful clients over the years, and their gratitude and positive reviews.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working?
Being present with my family and loved ones, meeting new people (virtually or in person), reading, exercising, traveling, volunteer work, sports (playing and watching) and generally learning new things.
How many Languages do you speak?
5
Who are your favorite sports teams?
Philadelphia Eagles
What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?
As a kid, my first pet was a hamster named Hammy, I loved him. We got a companion for Hammy named Hammette. They had babies.
During my Foreign Service career, I served three tours as a consular officer at U.S. Embassies/Consulates in Dubai, Istanbul, and Ankara and I have interviewed more than 30,000 visa applicants.
In 2006, I led the resumption of official U.S.-Iran cultural exchanges after a 27-year hiatus. Our programs brought over 300 exchange visitors (athletes, artists, lawyers, doctors, academics, scientists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, etc.) to the U.S. from Iran and from the U.S. to Iran between 2006 and 2008, as well as creating the region’s first documentary film festival, Documentary Voices, in Dubai in 2007.
I helped establish the first data-driven foreign policy office at the U.S. Department of State (The Office of Advanced Analytics) in 2012.
