Number of Nepali Workers Heading to the U.S. Declines as Overall Foreign Labor Migration Remains High

The number of Nepalis traveling to the United States for work under labor approval has declined over the long term, even as overall labor migration remains brisk, according to official data.

In the past four months alone, just 112 Nepalis received labor approval to travel to the United States, according to Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment.

In the most recent month reported, from mid-February to mid-March 2026, 61,819 Nepalis left for foreign employment after receiving labor approval, including 55,712 men and 6,107 women. However, only 17 of those workers were bound for the United States, including 14 men and three women.

Department data show that 52,944 people received labor approval in the previous month, from mid-January to mid-February 2026, including 46,452 men and 6,492 women. Of those, 23 Nepalis went to the United States for work, including 16 men and seven women.

The monthly total was even higher from mid-December 2025 to mid-January 2026, when 70,503 people obtained labor approval, including 62,162 men and 8,341 women. During that period, 37 Nepalis received approval for the United States, including six men and 31 women.

From mid-November to mid-December 2025, 62,559 people received labor approval for foreign employment, including 55,541 men and 7,018 women. During that time, 35 Nepalis went to the United States, including 27 men and eight women.

Altogether, 112 Nepalis traveled to the United States for work under labor approval during the four-month period, including 88 men and 24 women. In the same four-month period a year earlier, 103 Nepalis had received labor approval for the United States.

The year-over-year comparison for the four-month period shows a modest 8.7% increase, but the longer-term trend points downward. From July 16, 2024, to July 16, 2025, 336 Nepalis received labor approval to go to the United States, down from 399 in the corresponding period a year earlier.

The United States remains a destination for Nepali workers, but not on the same scale as Gulf countries and other labor markets that absorb far larger numbers. Nepal continues to send tens of thousands of workers abroad each month because of limited opportunities at home.

The decline in U.S.-bound labor approvals comes as immigration and visa policies in the United States have tightened under President Donald Trump’s administration, which began in January 2025 following his reelection. Legal experts say stricter approaches to work visas and other immigration pathways could affect Nepali applicants.

For Nepali workers, the United States remains a high-value destination, but approvals are still small compared with migration to the Gulf, East Asia and other labor markets. The figures also suggest that policy changes, visa processing conditions and the availability of work opportunities may be shaping where Nepalis choose to go.