Women’s Share in Visit Visa Travels Triples in Three Years: Immigration Department

As many as 271,305 Nepalis departed on visit visas in 2024, up from 202,419 in 2023, 175,790 in 2022, and 90,181 in 2021, according to the Department of Immigration. By July 2025, a total of 134,825 had already travelled abroad on visit visas. The top destinations include the UAE, Thailand, Oman, Qatar, and Malaysia.

Notably, the share of women travellers rose sharply from 14.4% in 2021 to 42.1% in 2024. The increase was particularly high for destinations such as the UAE and Thailand. Over the past five years, the number of women travelling to the UAE, Oman, and Kuwait on visit visas has surpassed that of men, reported the state-owned RSS news, citing immigration data.

The surge in visit visa departures from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), coupled with growing irregularities, has raised questions about Nepal’s immigration policies and oversight.

Earlier this year, the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) uncovered a widespread network operating a visit visa scam, allegedly with the involvement of immigration officials at TIA. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was drawn into controversy.

Following public outcry, the government formed a probe committee. However, critics have questioned the committee’s mandate and capacity to thoroughly investigate the case.

TIA’s immigration office, staffed by around 150 personnel working in shifts, is under increasing strain due to the growing number of outbound travellers. The Department of Immigration says pressure on its resources and digital systems is mounting.

Ram Chandra Tiwari, Director General of the department, said the agency must evolve from simply recording arrivals and departures into a specialised institution offering policy advice on national security and migration governance.

“We are working on a plan to develop an integrated digital immigration system by linking data from the Department of Passports, Department of Foreign Employment, Consular Services, and security agencies,” said Tiwari. “We must move beyond the failed narrative of tightening visit visa rules and adopt a roadmap focused on facilitation, regulation, and protection.”

Narhari Ghimire, Chief Immigration Officer at TIA, said specific action plans were being implemented to address visit visa-related issues. “The goal is to build a technology-friendly, safe, efficient, transparent, and citizen-responsive system—one that protects national security and respects the rights and dignity of both Nepali and foreign nationals,” he said.

Many Nepalis seeking jobs abroad are being defrauded through broker-led schemes that offer visit visas as a shortcut to employment. Victims are often deceived at multiple stages—sometimes up to six—before even reaching immigration.

Officials say people opt for visit visas instead of formal labour permits due to bureaucratic delays, high costs, and the perception that visit visas offer faster and easier access. Government restrictions—especially on women working in the Gulf—have also pushed many into irregular migration.

Observers say that bans on domestic work have driven many women to enter Gulf countries on visit visas or via informal routes through India. These paths, however, often expose migrants to trafficking, exploitation, and fraud.

Nepali women's labour migration has long been subject to bans that critics argue violate their right to mobility and employment. In September 2020, a parliamentary committee directed the government to lift the ban on women working in the Gulf as domestic workers, but with conditions that many say are unworkable.

In March 2022, the Department of Immigration issued a 17-point directive to curb visit visa misuse. One key provision limits visit visa travel to the Gulf to individuals who have previously visited the region twice.

Officials say other contributing factors to the rise in visit visa-based migration include non-transparent fees, false job offers, misplaced trust in brokers, lack of awareness, exploitative contracts, and the belief that employment can be arranged independently after arrival.

(With inputs from RSS)