Members of Afghan robotics girls team chat with one another as they arrive to receive their visas from the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday. The will attend a competition in Washington after initially being denied entry into the United States. (Mohammad Ismail/Reuters)

A team of girls from Afghanistan are on their way to a robotics competition in the United States after American officials agreed to allow them to enter the country despite initially denying them visas.

“We were disappointed, and we were feeling bad, but now we are very happy that they have given us a chance to go,” 14-year-old Fatemah Qaderyan said as she and five teammates arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul on Thursday.

The reversal reportedly came at the request of President Trump, White House officials said Wednesday. Trump has been criticized over his efforts to restrict immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. A Gambian team, which had also been denied entry into the United States, has been allowed to attend the FIRST Global Challenge, which begins Sunday in Washington.

Afghanistan and Gambia are not among the restricted countries and the teams’ robots had been allowed entry into the United States.

The United States often denies visa requests from Afghans over fears that they will refuse to return home.

The girls said they see competing in the event as a chance to help improve conditions in Afghanistan, where women and girls often face significant limitations in public and private life.