Addressing a function organized to mark Consular Leadership Day at the embassy, US envoy Nancy J. Powell asked all those applying for US visas to first get correct information from the embassy’s website or through an e-mail. [break] She said only a consular officer during an interview, but no one else, can determine if an applicant qualifies for visa to the US.
She also announced that the Embassy will launch a series of other outreach activities to help Nepalis to get clear information about the US visa process.
The Embassy said the number of Nepalis applying for the US visas has gone up dramatically over the last two decades. The Embassy processed over 34,000 applications, up from some 900 visa a year on an average in 1980s, and trend is points to increasing numbers in the years ahead.
The envoy expressed concern over the growing number of advertisement in the local newspapers promising a US work visa and consultancies duping people hundred of thousand rupees on false promises for the visa.
In June last year, Nepal Police had even arrested a group of three persons involved in producing forged U.S. visas and duping people from Kathmandu.
Addressing the function, Mea Arnold, chief of Consular Section at the embassy, said they are seeing an increasing amount of fraud in the visa applications through unscrupulous consultancies.
She asked all concerned to take responsibility for finding out the right information by checking the embassy’s website.
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