The U.S embassy has been closed for F1 visa interviews since March 2020 and all candidates who were applying for Fall 2020/Spring 2021 had to defer their admissions to Fall 2021. We sacrificed a year in our education and some of us even lost scholarships to promote safety and comply with COVID-19 guidelines. However, when the embassy reopened with interview dates in 2021 with very few slots, they canceled appointments with no information about when we would be able to book interview dates again.

Many students who already paid visa interview fees in Nepal have sacrificed the fees and repaid fees to booked interviews in India. However, India is currently an epicenter for COVID-19 and it is not safe for us to do so at the moment. 

As candidates for F1 visa, we are willing to provide negative COVID tests, take all necessary precautions and wear PPE, or appear for online interviews. We have spent a lot of time, energy, and money into applying to U.S universities for our education and are hoping that the U.S embassy in Nepal will help us. We cannot lose another year and our scholarships again. Even most universities are not providing remote class options for Fall 2021. 

Our request to the U.S embassy in Nepal is to open up F1 visa interview slots over the next few months. We will comply with all precautionary measures.