KATHMANDU: In response to a growing scandal involving the illegal extraction of millions of rupees from Nepali citizens traveling on visit visas, the United States has intensified its visa screening process for Nepali applicants.
The move comes amid serious allegations implicating Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and officials from his secretariat in a visit visa racket.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is currently probing the case, which reportedly involved over Rs 5 million being collected illegally each day from outbound travelers through collusion at the Tribhuvan International Airport immigration office, including its chief Tirtharaj Bhattarai.
As high-profile names continue to emerge in connection with the scandal, including those close to the home minister, the ruling parties—Nepali Congress and CPN-UML—have come under fire for defending the accused.
Both Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba are said to be backing Lekhak, while parliament proceedings remain disrupted over opposition demands for his resignation.
In this tense backdrop, the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu issued a notice on Wednesday announcing stricter pre-visa security screenings. The embassy said no visa would be granted without thorough vetting, which includes cross-checking names against law enforcement databases and anti-terrorism watchlists.
“Every traveler must undergo extensive security screening, and no visa will be issued until all checks are completed and any concerns are resolved,” the notice stated.
The embassy added that protecting U.S. national security is a top priority, stressing that individuals deemed potential threats will be barred from entering the country.
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