January 24: The government has adopted strict measures for those who want to travel abroad on a visit visa. The government has issued a new 6-point procedure in place of the previous 17-point procedure related to visit visas.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the new procedure after it was found that the previous procedure helped the activities of the groups that prepared fake documents for visit visas.

As per the new provision, a person visiting foreign country on a visit visa needs to present passport, visa, ticket, hotel booking or a document sponsored by a relative along with $500 and a self-declaration document to return back. The new provision has come into effect from Wednesday, January 24. Home Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai issued the new 6-point procedure after receiving widespread criticism that the previous 17-point procedure was impractical.

Head of the Immigration Office at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Gogan Bahadur Hamal, claimed that the new procedures will make it easier for Nepalis traveling abroad on visit visas. According to Hamal, the 17-point procedure was issued through a secretary-level decision to stop the trend of people traveling abroad on a visit visa but not returning back. Hamal says that the previous procedure instead helped the illicit activities of the middlemen raising serious questions about the airport’s system.

Rudra Singh Tamang, director general of the Department of Immigration, urged the travelers visiting family abroad not to travel by paying money to any middleman and not to work abroad on visit and tourist visas.

He has also requested to study the travel advisory issued by Government of Nepal before traveling on visit and tourist visa.

"In the last 24 hours, Tribhuvan Airport Immigration Office has returned 48 people who were going abroad on visit and tourist visas," said Tamang.

Meanwhile, Hamal, the head of the airport immigration office, informed that those who did not bring the necessary documents and could not explain the purpose of their visit were returned back from the airport. Most of them were going to the Gulf countries.