KATHMANDU: Beginning tomorrow, the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu has announced to offer new student visa appointment slots on a monthly basis.
These additional slots will be made available on a specific day each month, with the first date set for September 4.
This initiative is part of the Embassy’s effort to alleviate the long wait times typically associated with U.S. visa appointments, according to the Embassy.
Although the Embassy has previously added extra appointment slots occasionally, this is the first time it will do so consistently each month.
To address high demand, the Embassy has also been conducting visa interviews on Sundays, which are generally considered off-days.
Currently, securing an appointment for visitor or student visas at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu can take about 10 months.
To prevent students from missing out on their studies due to these lengthy waits, the Embassy said it is implementing this new strategy to help shorten the wait times.
Students planning to start their studies in the U.S. in 2025 will benefit from these new appointment slots starting in September.
Recently, there has been a notable surge in the number of Nepali applicants for U.S. student visas, leading to a historic high in visa issuance.
In July, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs reported a record-breaking number of Nepali students receiving U.S. student visas.
A total of 1,788 Nepali students were granted visas in July, marking the highest number for the current fiscal year, along with 63 dependents who received F-2 visas.
This brings the total number of Nepali students who have received U.S. student visas in the first 10 months of this fiscal year to 10,988.
The previous record was set in June, with 1,700 students and 76 dependents receiving visas.
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