Recent data released by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs on Tuesday highlights a continued decline in the number of Nepalis receiving U.S. student and visitor visas in April 2025, while immigrant visa approvals have shown a slight increase.
In April 2025, only 701 Nepalis were granted F-1 student visas, a drop from 761 in March 2025. This downward trend follows a pattern observed in previous months. In February, 802 Nepalis secured F-1 visas, which was higher than January’s 750. Comparing earlier months, December 2024 saw 616 approvals, November 2024 had a low of 167, and October 2024 recorded 712.
Despite the recent dip, fiscal year 2024 was a record-breaking year for Nepali students, with 13,187 F-1 visas issued—more than double the number from fiscal year 2023. However, the tightening of immigration policies under the current Trump administration appears to have reversed this growth, leading to fewer approvals in the current fiscal year.
The number of Nepalis receiving U.S. visitor visas (B-1/B-2) also fell significantly in April 2025, with only 1,307 approvals compared to 1,550 in March. This continues a downward trajectory from February’s 1,838 and January’s 2,150 approvals. Earlier in fiscal year 2025, December saw a low of 1,190 approvals, while November and October recorded 1,632 and 1,669, respectively.
The visitor visa rejection rate for Nepalis has been notably high. In fiscal year 2024, only 50.5% of Nepali applicants were granted visitor visas, with 49.5% facing rejections. This marked a significant drop from fiscal year 2023, when 69% of applicants were approved, and only 31.3% were denied. In total, 24,309 Nepalis received visitor visas in 2024 out of 48,100 applicants.
The approval rate was even higher in earlier years under the Biden administration. In fiscal year 2022, 80% of the 22,729 Nepali applicants (18,245 individuals) were granted visitor visas, with only 19.85% rejected. In 2021, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the approval rate peaked at 81%, with 7,128 visas issued out of 8,773 applications, partly due to interview waivers for renewals.
In contrast, during the previous Trump administration (2017-2021), in 2020, only 51.9% of the 15,000 applicants (7,751 individuals) received visitor visas, with a rejection rate of 48.1%. The rejection rates were even higher in 2019 (50.7%) and 2018 (51.5%), though slightly lower in 2017 (46.4%).
In contrast to the decline in non-immigrant visas, the number of Nepalis receiving immigrant visas from Nepal rose slightly in April 2025, with 735 approvals compared to 657 in March. This follows a high of 797 in February, the first full month of Trump’s current term, and 778 in January, the last month of the Biden administration.
The majority of these visas were granted to Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners and parents of U.S. citizens. In April, 302 DV winners received immigrant visas, up from 280 in March but down from 394 in February. Similarly, 190 parents of U.S. citizens received immigrant visas in April, compared to 164 in March and 173 in February.
Throughout fiscal year 2025, immigrant visa approvals have fluctuated, with 669 in October, 476 in November, 696 in December, and 778 in January. February’s 797 approvals marked the highest monthly total in the fiscal year so far. These visas, often leading to green cards, are typically processed for applicants residing in Nepal or outside the U.S., with green cards issued within a month of arrival in the U.S.
The U.S. continues to grant green cards to over 10,000 Nepalis annually. In fiscal year 2023, 11,640 Nepalis received green cards, including 7,560 through immigrant visas processed abroad and 4,080 through applications filed in the U.S. Of these, 3,375 were DV lottery winners, and around 1,000 were asylees. The remaining 8,000 were primarily family- or employment-based green cards. In 2022, 12,010 Nepalis received green cards, with 2,894 via the DV lottery and 1,262 through asylum.
Historical data shows consistent green card approvals for Nepalis: 13,046 in 2013, 12,357 in 2014, 12,926 in 2015, 12,851 in 2016, 11,610 in 2017, 11,953 in 2018, 10,201 in 2019, 7,847 in 2020, and 7,309 in 2021, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decline in student and visitor visa approvals coincides with stricter immigration policies under President Trump, which have tightened eligibility criteria and increased scrutiny of applications.
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Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
