U.S. Embassy in Nepal Schedules Immigrant Visa Interviews Within 6 Months for Documentarily Qualified, Visa-Current Applicants

According to the latest update from the National Visa Center (NVC), cases awaiting green cards that are “documentarily qualified” (DQ)—meaning all required fees are paid, documents submitted, and reviewed as complete—are now being scheduled for interviews within 1 to 6 months at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, provided the visa category is “current” in the monthly Visa Bulletin.

Processing times vary by visa category, with Family-based preference categories receiving faster service than immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.

For spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of U.S. citizens, cases that reached DQ status in July 2025 are currently being scheduled, with interviews expected in January 2026 or later at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu. These “immediate relative” categories face no annual visa caps.

Family-based preference categories, which include spouses and children of green card holders, unmarried or married adult children of U.S. citizens, and siblings of U.S. citizens, follow a slightly shorter timeline. The NVC is currently scheduling interviews for cases that became documentarily qualified in October 2025, with appointments anticipated in January 2026 or thereafter. Unlike immediate relatives, these categories are subject to annual visa limits and require the applicant’s priority date to be “current” in the Visa Bulletin. Until that threshold is met, no interview can be scheduled, even if all documents are in order.

Employment-based green card applicants who achieved DQ status in November 2025 are now being assigned interview dates, with most expected in January 2026. Like family preference categories, employment-based visas (EB-1 through EB-5) are governed by monthly visa availability outlined in the Visa Bulletin. Nepal, classified under “Rest of World,” generally avoids the severe backlogs seen in high-demand countries like India or China, but applicants must still monitor priority dates closely to confirm eligibility.

The journey from DQ to interview involves several key steps. Once the NVC confirms a case is documentarily qualified, applicants receive an official notification. They must then track the monthly Visa Bulletin, comparing their priority date to the “Final Action Dates” for their category and country. The NVC’s online Interview Wait Time Tool offers estimates, though it provides no guarantees, according to the NVC.

When a slot becomes available, the NVC typically notifies the applicant, petitioner, and any legal representative via email two to three months before the interview date. Applicants then complete biometrics, medical exams, and prepare original documents for the in-person consular interview.

Several factors can influence actual wait times, including embassy capacity, application volume, local conditions in Kathmandu, and fluctuations in the Visa Bulletin—such as retrogression, where dates move backward due to high demand.

NVC scheduling timelines differ significantly based on the capacity and backlog of the specific U.S. embassy or consulate processing the case. For instance, the New Delhi Embassy is currently demonstrating a highly accelerated and uniform scheduling pace. The NVC is actively scheduling interviews for all Family-Based and Employment-Based cases that became documentarily qualified in November 2025.

In contrast, the Abu Dhabi Embassy reflects a much longer processing time across all categories. For this post, the NVC is scheduling interviews for Immediate Relative cases that reached DQ status in January 2024, Family-Based Preference Categories from July 2024, and Employment-Based Cases from May 2024.

Applicants facing life-or-death emergencies, such as critical medical conditions or funerals, may request expedited processing by contacting the NVC or embassy with supporting evidence. Routine requests, such as job starts or school enrollment, do not qualify.