United States Investor Golden Visa Nepali 2026: Program & Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for the United States investor / golden visa visa

You qualify if you can answer YES to all four:

• Valid Nepali passport with the required validity beyond intended return.
• Documented investor / golden visa purpose — the supporting letter or registration proof for the investor / golden visa class.
• Financial sufficiency — bank statements showing trip cost coverage with margin across 3-6 months.
• Ties to Nepal — employer or school commitment, property, or family showing return intent.

Marginal cases (recent graduate, freelancer, first-time international travel) face heavier scrutiny but are not disqualified — strengthen the file with a sponsor letter or stronger cover letter.

Quick facts

Visa type	B-1 Business Visitor
Stay duration	Up to 6 months per entry (most business trips 1–4 weeks).
Validity	10 years multi-entry.
Entries	Multiple.
Processing time	4–12 weeks for interview + 5–10 days post-interview.
Embassy / centre	Visa Application Center (VAC) — Kathmandu (operated by VFS Global / GDIT for biometric collection on nonimmigrant visas)
Address (Kathmandu)	Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu. Biometrics + courier-only drop point — no walk-in interviews here. Mon–Fri 08:30–15:00. Book at ais.usvisa-info.com.
Hours	Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00 (interview slots typically 08:00–11:00 by appointment only). Closed all US + Nepali public holidays. Pickup of approved passports at the dropbox: 13:00–14:30 same week as interview.
Online portal	https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-np/niv (US Visa Information & Appointment Services — Nepal) · https://ceac.state.gov/genniv (DS-160 nonimmigrant application form) · https://ceac.state.gov/iv (DS-260 immigrant visa application) · https://travel.state.gov — State Department canonical visa portal
Last verified	2026-05-12

Important notes for Nepali applicants

• Every Nepali-language document MUST be accompanied by a notary-certified English translation — embassies will reject untranslated originals. Use a Nepal Bar Council–registered translator and have each translation notarised by a Notary Public.
• Nepal is NOT in the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) — every Nepali passport holder needs a non-immigrant visa regardless of trip length or purpose. No e-visa channel; ESTA is NOT an option for Nepali passports.
• In-person interview at US Embassy Kathmandu is MANDATORY for nearly every visa category, with limited Interview Waiver (IW / "drop box") eligibility for renewals of the same visa class within 48 months of expiry where the applicant is 14+ and was approved by the US Embassy Kathmandu previously. Renewals outside this window require a fresh interview.
• B-1/B-2 visitor visa is dual-purpose (business + tourism) and is by default granted as multiple-entry for 10 years on a Nepali passport — single-entry grants are rare and event-specific.
• Standard non-immigrant MRV fee is USD 185 (Feb 2024 onwards) for B/F/J/M/I/H/L/O/P/Q/R petition-based visas. Treaty trader/investor visas (E-1/E-2) and certain blanket-petition L-1 visas have higher fees ($315). Refundable only if the fee was paid in error to a duplicate file.
• DS-160 nonimmigrant application is the single online form for ALL nonimmigrant categories — completed at ceac.state.gov/genniv. Confirmation page (barcode) must be printed and brought to interview.

Documents required for the United States investor / golden visa visa

The embassy reviewer in Kathmandu checks the file in this order. Prepare each item to the specification before booking the appointment — the application is non-refundable on rejection.

Document	Required	Notes
Passport, DS-160, photo, MRV receipt, interview confirmation	Yes
Invitation letter from US company / organisation (on letterhead)	Yes	Includes inviter company info, applicant company info, purpose of trip, dates, business relationship history, who covers expenses, expected outcome.
Conference / trade show registration confirmation (if applicable)	Recommended
Employer letter from Nepali company on letterhead	Yes	Confirms applicant's position, salary, dates approved as work-related travel abroad, return-to-role guarantee, business purpose alignment.
Business registration / PAN of Nepal-side company	Yes	Industrial property certificate + Income Tax Office registration + PAN card.
Recent business financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, audited if available)	Recommended
Recent communications with US inviter (emails, MoU, contract drafts)	Recommended	Demonstrates genuine ongoing business relationship.
Bank statement (last 6 months) — applicant side	Yes
Property / immovable asset proof in Nepal	Recommended
ANY ONE income bundle (Business bundle most relevant)	Yes
1. Business Income	Recommended	Applicants involved in business must submit the following:
PAN Certificate	Yes	Permanent Account Number certificate issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
Business Registration Certificate	Yes	Submit ONE of: (a) Company Registrar Certificate (for private/public limited companies), (b) Cottage / Small Industry (Gharelu) Registration, OR (c) Municipality / Ward (Wada) Registration Certificate.
Additional Registration Certificates (if applicable)	Recommended	Sector-specific endorsements: (a) Tourism Board Registration for travel-related businesses, (b) Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Registration for financial institutions, (c) Contractor License from Municipality / Ward Office.
Latest Audit Report	Yes	Signed by a Nepal Chartered Accountants Institute (ICAN)–registered auditor, with company stamp.
Tax Clearance Certificate	Yes	Issued by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) for the latest fiscal year.

How to apply for the United States investor / golden visa visa from Nepal

Identical DS-160 + MRV + appointment flow; B-1 selected as primary purpose in the DS-160 application.

1. Check eligibility against the criteria above and confirm the visa class is correct for your travel purpose.
2. Prepare the document file per the table above. Use a Nepal Bar Council-registered translator + notary for any Nepali-language original (employer letter, property docs, citizenship copy back-translation).
3. Book the appointment at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-np/niv (US Visa Information & Appointment Services — Nepal) · https://ceac.state.gov/genniv (DS-160 nonimmigrant application form) · https://ceac.state.gov/iv (DS-260 immigrant visa application) · https://travel.state.gov — State Department canonical visa portal — slots fill quickly during peak windows.
4. Submit in person at Visa Application Center (VAC) — Kathmandu (operated by VFS Global / GDIT for biometric collection on nonimmigrant visas) (Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu. Biometrics + courier-only drop point — no walk-in interviews here. Mon–Fri 08:30–15:00. Book at ais.usvisa-info.com.). Arrive 15 minutes early.
5. Pay the fee (MRV (Machine-Readable Visa) fee paid online via the US Visa Information Service Nepal portal by bank deposit at Standard Chartered / Himalayan Bank Nepal counters in NPR (no card payment for the consular fee). Each receipt valid 365 days from issue.).
6. Provide biometrics if requested (mandatory for sticker classes; e-visa classes typically do not require them).
7. Track and collect — most embassies provide a tracking reference. E-visas arrive by email; sticker visas return by courier or in-person collection.

What Yatra handles for United States investor / golden visa visa applications

• Document checklist tailored to the investor / golden visa purpose — exactly what the United States embassy requires for Nepali files in this class.
• Pre-submission review — we catch the documentation-gap rejections (wrong photo spec, missing translation, weak cover letter) before the file enters the queue.
• Appointment booking at Visa Application Center (VAC) — Kathmandu (operated by VFS Global / GDIT for biometric collection on nonimmigrant visas) in Kathmandu.
• PNR-backed dummy tickets at NPR 999 — accepted by most embassies as proof of onward travel so you can apply before paying for non-refundable flights. Available at yatraforfun.com/dummy-ticket.
• Re-application support — if rejected, the Yatra service fee is waived on the second submission (you re-pay the embassy fee, which is non-refundable on either attempt).

Common mistakes Nepali applicants make on the United States investor / golden visa visa

The five mistakes below account for the majority of preventable rejections we see on Nepal-US files. None of them are about the embassy being difficult — every one is fixable with a 30-minute pre-submission review.

1. Photograph not to the embassy specification. Most United States missions reject photos that fall outside the exact dimensions (typically 35x45mm or 51x51mm), have a non-white background, show ears partially covered, or were taken more than 6 months ago. Use a photo studio in Kathmandu (Bagbazar / Putalisadak / Naxal) that knows the United States embassy spec — pay the extra NPR 200 for a fresh, compliant set rather than reusing an old printout.
2. Bank balance pumped up the week before submission. Embassy reviewers read the 6-month statement, not the closing balance. A sudden NPR 5,00,000 deposit two weeks before submission with no salary or business inflow history flags as manufactured. Maintain a steady balance in line with declared income; if the funds are genuinely sponsored, attach the sponsor's 6-month statement and an undertaking letter rather than depositing into your own account.
3. Untranslated Nepali documents. Every Nepali-language document submitted to a United States mission must be accompanied by a notary-certified English translation — citizenship card, employer letter on Nepali letterhead, lalpurja (land deed), municipality registration, audit reports. Use a Nepal Bar Council-registered translator and have each translation notarised by a Notary Public; embassies routinely return files with raw Nepali originals.
4. Cover letter that contradicts the booking dates. If the cover letter says you are travelling 12-25 Oct but the flight booking shows 14-22 Oct, the file gets returned for clarification. Re-read the cover letter against every attached booking before submission — dates, accommodation address, sponsor name, and total stay must match across all documents.
5. Hotel booking that allows free cancellation but no payment proof. United States embassies increasingly recognise the "book a refundable hotel just for the visa, cancel after approval" pattern. A confirmation showing prepayment (or at minimum a non-zero deposit) carries far more weight than a free-cancellation booking. If you genuinely need flexibility, attach the booking plus a covering note explaining your itinerary contingencies — silence reads as deception.

After approval — the pre-departure checklist for United States

Visa in passport is not the end of the work. Carry the following on the day of travel — Nepali passport holders are routinely secondary-screened at the entry port for United States, and producing the right paperwork at immigration shortens the inspection from 30 minutes to 3.

• Printed visa or e-visa PDF — never rely solely on the digital copy on your phone. Carry one printed copy in your hand baggage and a backup in checked baggage.
• Confirmed return ticket in your name — United States immigration may ask to see the onward flight at arrival, especially for tourist and visit classes.
• Hotel confirmation for the first 3 nights minimum, with the address printed in the local language where applicable. Immigration officers ask "where are you staying" and a vague answer triggers secondary screening.
• Travel insurance certificate — increasingly mandatory at the entry port even when the visa was approved without it.
• Cash in destination currency equivalent to at least USD 100/day for the first 3 days — immigration occasionally asks "show me funds" and a card or e-wallet does not always satisfy.
• Yatra concierge contact — if you booked through Yatra, save our 24/7 number (+977 970-9066517) for any visa or entry-port issue. We have helped Nepali travellers re-enter United States after secondary-screening flags more than 200 times in the last two years.

United States embassy and visa centre contact in Kathmandu

U.S. Embassy Kathmandu — Consular Section

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal (across from Hotel Yak & Yeti area). Consular entrance on Pani Pokhari side.

Phone

+977 1 4234000, +977 1 4007200 (emergency US citizen services)

Email

[email protected]

Hours

Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00 (interview slots typically 08:00–11:00 by appointment only). Closed all US + Nepali public holidays. Pickup of approved passports at the dropbox: 13:00–14:30 same week as interview.

Website

https://np.usembassy.gov/visas/

Visa Application Center (VAC) — Kathmandu (operated by VFS Global / GDIT for biometric collection on nonimmigrant visas)

Tridevi Marg, Thamel, Kathmandu. Biometrics + courier-only drop point — no walk-in interviews here. Mon–Fri 08:30–15:00. Book at ais.usvisa-info.com.

Related Yatra resources

• United States visa overview for Nepali citizens — embassy contact + concierge page.
• Visa eligibility checker — answer 4 questions; we tell you which class fits.
• PNR-backed dummy tickets (NPR 999) — accepted by most embassies as proof of onward travel.
• PNR-backed hotel bookings — refundable confirmations for visa submission.
• Yatra visa concierge — all 60+ destinations for Nepali citizens.
• All Yatra visa & travel guides — country, type, and process-specific articles.
• Albania investor / golden visa visa — sibling country guide for comparison.
• Bulgaria investor / golden visa visa — another sibling Nepali-passport guide.
• Flight bookings to United States — once your visa lands, book direct.
• Hotel deals in United States — Yatra-verified rates with free cancellation.
• About Yatra For Fun — Founder Sandeep Kumar Chaudhary Chaudhary, 10+ years processing Nepali visas.

Sources and freshness

This guide is curated from the official U.S. Embassy Kathmandu — Consular Section portal and Visa Application Center (VAC) — Kathmandu (operated by VFS Global / GDIT for biometric collection on nonimmigrant visas). Embassy data was last verified on 2026-05-12 and this post was last refreshed on 2026-05-21. Visa fees and processing times shift one to two times a year — re-check the embassy portal four weeks before travel.