U.S. Embassy in Nepal

STATUS OF VISA PROCESSING AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN KATHMANDU

February 1, 2023

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to reduce visa wait times to facilitate travel between the United States and Nepal. Please continue to monitor our website for further updates. Additional information on the status of visa services is available on travel.state.gov “Visa Services Operating Status Update”

For detailed information about applying for a U.S. visa in Nepal, please visit: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/np/

Applicants entering the Embassy must wear a face mask at all times and follow social distancing protocols.  Any applicant with symptoms, such a cough, sore throat, or fever must reschedule their interview.

REQUIREMENTS FOR AIR TRAVELERS TO THE U.S.:  Effective Sunday, June 12, 2022, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rescinded its order requiring all airline or other aircraft passengers to show a negative COVID-19 test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 to board any aircraft destined to the United States from a foreign country. The CDC’s order requiring proof of vaccination for non-U.S. citizens and nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect.  For more information see Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers.

IMMIGRANT VISAS

Our consular section is processing all categories of Immigrant Visas, including those for immediate relatives and fiancés of U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), Returning Residents, Employment-based visas, and others as capacity allows.

DV2020 and DV2021: The Department of State is aware of the various court orders regarding the reservation and adjudication of DV-2020 and DV-2021 diversity visas. As information becomes available, guidance will be published on travel.state.gov .  Please see additional information here .

Vaccination Requirements for Immigrant Visa Applicants: The CDC Technical Instructions for panel physicians require all immigrant visa applicants to receive a full COVID-19 vaccine series as part of their medical exam prior to being issued a visa.  The CDC requires the COVID-19 vaccine to be approved through either the World Health Organization (WHO) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CDC’s technical instructions can be found here.  The Department of State encourages all immigrant visa applicants to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible in order to avoid delays in their visa processing.

NONIMMIGRANT VISAS

The consular section has made appointments available for all categories of nonimmigrant visas.  Please note that due to high demand, applicants may experience long wait times for nonimmigrant visa appointments.  Applicants should plan far in advance for travel and check for available appointments frequently, as new appointments are added whenever possible.  There is no refund available if an appointment is not available before your planned date of travel. Please continue to check the appointment website frequently for an earlier available opening.  Fee validity: All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022 are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee.  Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period.  Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period.  There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period.  All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.

Expedited/Emergency Appointments:  If an applicant has an emergency or other urgent need to travel, please follow the guidance provided here to request an expedited appointment. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and appointment space is limited.

Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal: To improve customer service, the U.S. government allows certain nonimmigrant visa applicants to apply for visas without an interview under the Interview Waiver. This process is not for first-time applicants. It is only for certain applicants applying for visas and some restrictions apply. The Interview Waiver & Visa Renewal eligibility criteria can be found here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Our FAQ section can be found here. If you have any additional questions, please contact us through the U.S. Embassy Consular Information & Service MS Form