Nepal Communist Party members are not automatically barred from traveling to the US: Embassy

Published On: October 6, 2020 03:25 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Oct 6: The US Embassy in Kathmandu has clarified that there has been no change in their policy or law regarding members of communist parties or totalitarian regimes traveling or immigrating to the US.

In its tweets on Tuesday, the US Embassy also said that members of the Nepal Communist Party are not automatically barred from immigrating to the US.

The statement of the US Embassy comes in the wake of recent news reports about the restriction on members of communist parties and totalitarian regimes to travel or immigrate to the US.

“We're concerned that a few news stories have published misleading information about US visas. We’d like to clarify that there has been no change to our policy, or to our decades-old law regarding members of communist parties or totalitarian regimes traveling or immigrating to the US,” reads a tweet post of the US Embassy.

“Similarly, Nepal Communist Party members are not automatically barred from immigrating to the US. Each visa case is adjudicated on an individual basis,” stated another tweet.

In a tweet post on Tuesday, NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha had said that the policy barring communist party members’ immigration or travel to the US makes a mockery of democracy and right to voluntarily take the membership of any party.

Though the US Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in 1952 that bars people from immigrating to the United States on the basis of membership in, or affiliation w/ a Communist or any other totalitarian party, the law provides for many exceptions and waivers, allowing party members to immigrate to the US if otherwise qualified, the US Embassy said in its tweets.

According to the US Embassy’s tweets, US Citizens and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued administrative guidance – essentially an instruction manual – to USCIS officers for the immigration applications of people already within the US.

“The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) doesn't affect people wanting to visit the US temporarily (w/ a non-immigrant visa). We welcome those w/ diverse backgrounds & beliefs to apply for visas,” another tweet added.