US Embassy Kathmandu- Facebook Diversity Visa Chat (14 OCT, 2020)

Embassy of the US, consular office, Kathmandu, answered queries on the Diversity Visa (DV) on 14th October 2020. Here is the list of questions and answers taken from its Official Facebook Page, which could be helpful for the DV applicants.

Q. I have filled out the DV form online meeting all the requirements. They have told me to send the confirmation link in my email when all the procedures get completed but haven't sent the confirmation page. Should I wait further for their reply or fill out another form? please let me know sir.

Consular:-You should only submit one application for the lottery. If you have already submitted a form, you should wait for a confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation, you have not successfully submitted the application.

Q. Sir I am a DV winner 2021. My case number is current, Although 2NL letter has not been issued, my query is that if 2NL letter will be issued in the days to come, can I postpone my Interview date due because my wife is pregnant and her date of delivery is in the first week of January and she is the derivative of my DV lottery so my humble request to u to know me how can I solve this case. Thank you.

Consular:-Because we will not be able to process DV2021 cases until after December 31, 2020, you will not need to worry about your interview date just yet. Since your family circumstances are changing, be sure to contact KCCDV@state.gov in order to include your new child on your DV application. Failure to include all eligible family members on your application can result in you beingdisqualified.d

 

Information on studying in Sweden for Nepali students.

There is a Facebook page called 'We Are Nepali Living in Sweden' which gives factual information about studying in Sweden for Nepali students so that students would not be misled by agents in Nepal, whose sole propose is earning money rather than helping students make informed decisions. Just because you got a university admission in Sweden, or got the residence permit , does not mean that your struggle is over. You will need to consider plenty of aspects while moving to a foreign country for study.

Firstly, international students have to pay tuition fee to study in Sweden, and it ranges from € 8,000 to € 13,000, which is a lot of money. Alongside, housing cost and living cost in Sweden is very high. Below I have provided the list of useful bullet points from the Facebook Page compiled by the admin of the page to help the prospective students to Sweden. Make sure you do enough research to figure out whether or not Sweden is good country for you based on the points. You can also do further research on your own from the internet. This blog Study In Sweden is also pretty good. Written by international students themselves, it addresses pretty much all common concerns of students.

• For those who are financially sound, and can afford the living cost in Sweden and tuition fees for Swedish Universities, Sweden is an excellent destination for studies, with the presence of world-class universities and state-of-the-art education system.
  Such students are highly recommended to come and study in Sweden.

Now for those who need to do part-time jobs to help finance their studies.

US Embassy Nepal, biweekly Visa Chat.

This is a compilation of questions by those who want to visit the USA for various purposes and their queries are addressed by Consular Officer of US embassy, Nepal. I have compiled it here from the Facebook page of US embassy,  Nepal, in the hope that it will help prospective visa applicants. However this is to give the general idea, some rules might change in future so contact the US embassy for the latest, authentic and reliable information.

Q. Isn't the visa fee too expensive for poor Nepali people?
Answer:-Regarding fees, we do not make any money on application fees. Our process--which includes processing your application, the interview, etc.--is all fee-funded. The fee you pay goes towards covering the cost of the process. For this reason, fees cannot be refunded if you are not successful in your application.

Q.Why genuine certificate holders don't get visa and people with fake documents are getting F2 visa?
Answer by Consular Officer:- I  cannot address your specific situation, but when we consider F2 visas, we are concerned with whether the marriage is genuine and not just for immigration purposes, whether you can financially support yourself in the US, and whether you have an intent to depart the US at the end of the course of study for your spouse. If you were refused your visa, it is because you were unable to convince the Consular Officer you have met these criteria


Q.Can we ( Nepali) join US Army or police ?
Answer:- You have to be a U.S. legal permanent resident to join one of the branches of the U.S. military or to become a police officer.

Q.How to go to the USA legally on the work visa?
Answer:- Visit the U.S. Embassy website for more information on visas, the information you need to provide, and how to apply. https://np.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/

My experience with Ride Sharing Service 'Pathao' in Kathmandu.

Recently I have started using Pathao for transportation when travelling inside Kathmandu (This service is currently available only in Kathmandu), and in this blog post, I am jotting down some of my impressions with it.

As most of us already know, Pathao is a ride sharing service, which started from and is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh. And 'Pathao' is a Bengali word which very aptly means ''send it.'' Pathao made an announcement that they were launching bike-sharing operation in Kathmandu on September 12, 2018.

In the case of Kathmandu, Pathao provides on-demand ride sharing services through motorcycles only. Pathao app is freely available on both Android and IOS platforms, and both the Pathao driver and the Pathao passenger are supposed to have this app installed on their smartphones to avail this service. 

Actually,  the features that I found particularly good and handy were it has very convenient ordering system and and GPS- enabled tracking system allows us to track the Pathao motorcycle to our door- all on one Pathao app. In my personal experience of having taken Pathao rides more than 5 times, the drivers have not taken more than 10 minutes (it must have been less in most cases) to reach my doorstep. Also, it has very scientific and fraud-proof pricing system, as the fare for the entire journey can be seen even before placing an order for a Pathao ride. Drivers, that are normally called 'riders' in Pathao's context do not overcharge their customers, unless we willingly want to give them some tips, the fare shown on the app will be final.

More importantly, Pathao services are cheaper than taxis and faster and more convenient than public transportation, as public vehicles in Kathmandu are, more often than not, overcrowded, and cases traffic congestions are very commonplace.

HOW TO REQUEST A PATHAO RIDE

1. Open your Pathao app and select the bike option from the main screen. Turn on the GPS / Location.
2.  Select the BIKE OPTION from the main screen. (Your pickup point will set automatically or you can type it down).
3. On TAP to select your destination or type your destination down.
4. Or, you can also set the destination by moving the map around.
5. Once the destination is selected press DONE (Pathao will show fare for the entire journey at this stage).
6. Finally, select SEND PICKUP REQUEST.
   Then Pathao will connect you to a nearby rider. You can see the information about the bike or scooter of which model the rider you have been connected to is using.  You can swipe up to view the rider information more importantly his ratings.
7. After you send pickup request, the rider will call you, and you can provide them with further information about the location, also you can track where the rider is sitting at your home from the Pathao app.
8. After the rider has come, hop on and enjoy the ride. Remember to get ready before you place an order because riders usually arrive at the pickup point within few minutes, so that you don't waste their time.
   
   
   It is advisable to take with you a mask and sunglasses to save your eyes and lungs because roads in Kathmandu are very dusty and polluted.

Pathao bike rides, though they are faster, convenient and cheaper, can be difficult when it is raining, unlike cabs though. And, cab owners do not like Pathao because it simply threatens their revenue. Most cabs in Kathmandu do not follow the pricing system set by the government and try to swindle their customers as much as they can.

There are other ride sharing services in Kathmandu, and Tootle is a competitor of Pathao. And, I have not personally used Tootle so I cannot review it, and the purpose of this post is also not to compare them. But if you want to watch a comparison video of Tootle and Pathao by M&S Vmag, just CLICK HERE.

Overall, Pathao is easy to use, convenient and by and large risk-free. It is cheaper than taxi services and offer faster transportation services in Kathmandu. Pathao ride from Dhapasi to Juwal Chowk Lalitpur, where the total distance is 7.47 kilometres, had cost me 142 rupees, and that from Dhapasi to Lazimpat, where the total distance is 2.06 kilometres,  had cost me 61 rupees. In another case, when I had travelled from Dhapasi to BG Mall, Ring Road, Gangabu Chowk, where the total distance is 1.82 kilometres, had cost me  57 rupees. All this information and detailed invoice is saved on Pathao app and can be accessed anytime.