Recent statistics reveal a significant rise in the denial rate of U.S. visitor visas for Nepali applicants. In the fiscal year 2024, only about 50.5% of Nepali applicants were granted U.S. visitor visas. Although the visa approval rate for Nepalis was exceptionally high during the first three years of the Biden administration, the final year saw a notable decline in the approval rate. According to data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, nearly 49.5% of Nepali applicants for visitor visas were denied.
The visa denial rate in 2024 is considerably higher compared to the fiscal year 2023. In 2024, 24,309 Nepalis were granted U.S. visitor visas, meaning that a total of 48,100 Nepalis applied for U.S. visitor visas during the fiscal year.
In fiscal year 2023, approximately 69% of Nepali applicants were granted U.S. visitor visas, with only 31.3% of applicants being denied. During that year, 29,722 Nepalis received U.S. visitor visas.

In fiscal year 2022, the U.S. granted visitor visas to nearly 80% of Nepali applicants. Out of 22,729 Nepalis who applied for visitor visas, 18,245 were approved. However, 4,515 Nepalis were denied visas, accounting for 19.85% of the total applicants.
Similarly, in fiscal year 2021, the U.S. granted visitor visas to approximately 81% of Nepali applicants. During that year, 7,128 Nepalis received U.S. visitor visas, while the denial rate stood at 18.72%. Out of 8,773 Nepali applicants, 1,645 were denied visas. The year 2021 saw a historically high visa approval rate for Nepalis, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a significant number of applicants applying for visa renewals without interviews.
During the previous Trump administration, the visa denial rate for Nepalis was notably higher. In fiscal year 2020, about 51.9% of Nepali applicants were granted U.S. visitor visas. However, the approval rate in 2020 was the highest compared to the previous three years. While the percentage of approvals increased in 2021 compared to 2020, the actual number of visas granted decreased. In 2020, 7,751 Nepalis received U.S. visitor visas, but this number dropped in 2021.
In fiscal year 2020, nearly 15,000 Nepalis applied for U.S. visitor visas, of which 7,751 were approved, as reported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. The denial rate in 2020 was 48.1%. The visa denial rate for Nepalis was 50.7% in fiscal year 2019, 51.5% in 2018, and 46.4% in 2017.