Nepal..Just contacted Senator, 13 days after approved at interview..

[walran 24]

Kathmandu Nepal... So my fiance was approved for visa about 13 days ago and at the interview the US consular officer told us it would be done in 4-7 days and to come back after 7 days to pick up the passport and the visa. Flight was booked, marriage scheduled, family and friends notified etc.

Sent fiance to the embassy where she dealt with only the Nepali people that work there and they had no visa ready, and berated her ( Nepalese clerical staff) for scheduling flight out only 16 days after approval. Of course I had to leave for US prior to her going as I would not have stood for that and asked to speak to a consular officer.

So after waiting a few more days yesterday I contacted a friend of a friend at Senator Hatch's office and they are putting a rush inquiry through to the consular office.

The Americans there at embassy are very efficient and nice but seems like they have outsourced too much to the locals.. The email responses I get are obviously not from native English speakers and they screwed up the initial interview appointment as well.

We had the letter and email for the interview as March 25th and then when we got there the Nepalese staff said " why weren't you here for your appointment we scheduled the 23rd of February?? No emails, calls, letters, etc. specified a February date which was especially aggravating as I had asked them to see if they could do an interview sooner as I had to leave the country and hoped to take her with me.. They said "No" we can only do the 25th of March.. All the emails, letters etc. said 25th of March.

The phone number on the email auto-responder for contacting the consulate part of the embassy is out of order and incorrect ( of course).

So hopefully we hear from the Senator's office today but I am sending an American friend with her tomorrow to the embassy and have said that they should ask to see a consular officer and go over the head of the clerical staff for a better answer if the visa is not ready.

I am certain this is not the first time this has happened to someone but thought I would share and it seems to have been a constant comment from other Nepalese that the local staff are rude and not efficient. May be time for someone to shake things up a bit there

Good luck to all & the positive is that I have learned more patience.. Thought I was patient already but have learned to just take it as it comes after doing everything that I can do myself the rest is up to God!

Randall

[Pitaya 2,577]

~Moved from K1 Process to Asia:South Regional Forum~

~Commentary is embassy-specific~

[Anh map 2,098]

You broke the cardinal rule: don't make plans until the visa is in hand. It's bitten many a person in the backside.

Good luck in the rest of your journey.

[walran 24]

So this is what was received this morning ( Nepal Time)

-------- Original message --------

From: "Congressional, Kathmandu"

Date:04/05/2016 21:00 (GMT-08:00)

To:

Subject: passport pick up

Dear Sir,

Please collect your visa from the section any afternoon between 1:30 to 3:30.

Consular Section

US Embassy

Kathmandu, Nepal

Phone: 977-1-423-4500

Unfortunately when she went to pick it up the following occurred..:

When Usha went to pick up the visa as directed at 1:30 they told her to wait for five minutes and they would give her the visa and it was over an hour before they called her back and they acted weird and said " We have a problem with the system you can't pick up your visa we will call you" This was all the Nepali staff.

Usha said they were acting weird after the lady "called back to the other Nepali person regarding the visa at the consulate" like she/they were angry or something ( this is not the Americans mind you).

When my fiance asked the lady's name at the consulate she refused to give it to her saying it was confidential.

When my fiance Usha Maharjan asked if the computer was was down for everyone or "just her" the Nepali consular person said " just you". When she asked what the problem was she was told it was "confidential".

When she asked if they had received the email from the senator's office they said " We don't entertain any such things it doesn't make a difference". Yet the letter saying to pick it up clearly came from their senate relations department.

She asked to talk to an American consular officer and they denied her.

They told her they didn't know when their system would be fixed and that they would call. Usha ( fiance) said " I never received a call from you regarding visa as promised only this email this morning" and they ( nepali staff) said " we will call we will call".. Which is what they always say and then never do. They screwed up the initial appointment as well for the interview but we persevered.

When she said I have flight in two days the Nepali lady there said " you shouldn't have booked your flight" even though the actual consular officer said that she would have the visa in 7 days and it would be fine..

On the visa forums on the internet many people say that the Nepali staff is rude etc. at that embassy and it "sounds" like they are being punitive and need to be taken in hand..

Have played my hand with the Senator's office and will trust in them and God for this one.

I will update this as I have more information..