U.S. AMBASSADOR APPEALS TO PROTESTORS: “YOUR HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A VISA”

April 12, 2007                                                              

U.S. Ambassador James F. Moriarty is urging the protestors outside the American Embassy to think first of themselves and their families and to call off their announced hunger strike. 

“As we explained to this group of protestors in face-to-face meetings with my deputy on February 5 and March 13, no visa is worth damaging your health,” the Ambassador said today.  “I urge these individuals to think first about their families, lives, and future in Nepal, and give up this futile protest.”

In the last month, the Embassy has learned, the protestors have also begun to use threats and intimidation to try to deny visas to legitimate Nepali applicants.  Representatives of the group threatened violence and attempted to extort money from two Nepali doctors who provide medical clearance services to qualified Nepali applicants seeking U.S. immigrant visas.  

On March 7, seven young males claiming to be part of the DV Lottery protestor group visited the clinic of a Nepali physician and demanded that he stop signing medical clearance forms for the Embassy. (Panel physician medical clearance is required for the processing of all immigrant visas.).  The doctor stated that he would not stop fulfilling this professional responsibility, which benefits many legitimate Nepali visa applicants.  One of the protestors responded that, "the consequences [of this refusal] would be very bad."  The DV protestors then asked for financial help to continue their protest program; the doctor refused to give them any money.

On the same day, a different panel physician was threatened by 11 protestors.  The doctor told the protestors that he also would continue his work until the Nepal Medical Council and the Embassy asked him to stop.  This doctor reported feeling threatened but said that it was his duty to his patients to continue his work.  The names of the doctors are withheld at their request.  

The Embassy has confirmed that the protestors have been back to the offices of both doctors twice since the first visit, reiterating their demand that the doctors stop processing medical reports for Nepali immigrant visa applicants.

The Embassy, on behalf of all legitimate Nepali immigrant visa applicants, condemns these actions and calls on this group to halt such behavior immediately.  If such threats interfered or halted physical examinations for immigrant visa applicants, the Embassy would be unable to process any immigrant visa applications. Thousands of other Nepalis would be robbed of an opportunity to emigrate to the U.S. as a result.

Here are relevant facts about the U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program:

• The annual Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (or DV program) is popular in Nepal.  Since 2000, more than 7,500 Nepalis have successfully applied for and entered the United States on Diversity Visas.  In 2006, more than 300,000 Nepalis registered for the computer-generated random lottery drawing that chooses selectees for diversity visas. 
• The basic idea of the DV program is to ensure a broader ethnic mix of immigrants to the United States.  The annual DV program makes permanent residence visas available to persons meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements.
• If a person is selected in the lottery and decides to apply for an immigrant visa, there is a $755 (U.S.) application fee.  This fee is non-refundable and it is set by law.   Embassies do not have the authority to waive, change, or refund this fee.  The fee – the same charged in all countries with a DV program – pays for the detailed processing of DV applications.
• Unsuccessful applicants are told at the time of the interview why they didn’t qualify and given a written explanation citing the portion of the law that applies.

Information on applying for all types of visas is available on the Embassy’s website, http://nepal.usembassy.gov and at www.travel.state.gov