Norwegian musician now allowed to travel to U.S. under reversal for dual citizens

A Norwegian tenor horn player will be allowed to come to the United States to compete in a brass band competition with Iowa musicians after the Trump administration reversed its position on whether people with dual citizenship can enter the country during a 90-day travel ban for seven mostly-Muslim countries.

Paniz Golrang, 24, a university student from southern Norway, was told Monday by the U.S. Embassy in Oslo she would not be able to travel to Indiana in late February to compete in the North American Brass Band Association championship. Golrang, born in Norway, holds dual citizenship in Norway and Iran, where her parents were born.

Golrang and her boyfriend, Arfon Owen, both distinguished tenor horn players, are scheduled to compete with the Tall Grass Brass Band, which includes nine members of the Eastern Iowa Brass Band and is directed by Alex Beamer, of Solon.

But in a midweek reversal, the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security announced President Donald Trump's executive order would not affect people like Golrang.

'This Executive Order does not restrict the travel of dual nationals, so long as they hold the passport of an unrestricted country and possess a valid U.S. visa. They may resume travel to the United States.” according to the U.S. Embassy in Oslo's website.

'Our Embassies and Consulates around the world will process visa applications and issue nonimmigrant and immigrant visas to otherwise eligible visa applicants who apply with a passport from an unrestricted country, even if they hold dual nationality from one of the seven restricted countries.”

Golrang expressed relief Thursday.

'I'm guessing they just received a lot of negative vibes from everyone, including the embassies and other countries,” she wrote in an email.

Trump's Jan. 27 executive order prohibited people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia from entering the U.S. for 90 days and suspended all refugee admission for 120 days. Questions about dual nationals popped up almost immediately. When Golrang emailed the U.S. Embassy in Oslo Monday about whether she would be able to fly to Indiana, the office replied:

'Those nationals or dual nationals holding valid immigrant or nonimmigrant visas will not be permitted to enter the United States during this period either. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and encourage you to check our website for a status update in 90 days.”

A day later, the U.S. State Department and Homeland Security announced dual citizens with one passport in an unrestricted country would not be prohibited from traveling to the U.S., ABCNews reported.

Beamer, conductor and music director for the Tall Grass Brass Band, is glad he doesn't have to replace Golrang for the competition March 10-11 in Fort Wayne.

'I guess there was a change that happened and now they are allowing her to come,” he said. 'The only thing I can speculate about is there have been so many calls to senators lately.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com