Kathmandu, June 21

The government has drafted Immigration Strategic Plan, 2017 to improve the system of maintaining record of each individual arriving and departing the country and make immigration services easy, accessible and economic.

The plan aims to deliver services of international standards and mitigate security threats through the use of Digital Immigration Management System. “The proposed DIMS will help maintain high-level security in all services relating to immigration and make structured decision-making process easy,” read the plan.

The theme of the plan is ‘Service to visitors is our identification’. It aims to formulate timely immigration policies to promote national interest and dignity, develop and implement standard operating system, adopt client-centric working culture, provide for a provision of Board of Immigration Appeals to ensure responsibility in service delivery and prepare employees’ code of ethics.

The plan also envisages ‘one stop service centre’ to provide from a single point of convenience all services being delivered by the Department of Immigration and immigration offices. “In order for the government to make its services easily accessible, service shops will be set up in major tourist hubs. Similarly, legal and procedural framework will be developed to introduce advance immigration checking through which tourists can submit an advance application online with bio-metric data.

“The DoI will establish Visa Service Shop under public-private partnership model for visa processing in major tourist destinations and at the province level, besides providing for a provision of grievance redressal by conducting a survey through client satisfaction form, direct contact and hearing, online hearing service, call centre-hotline hearing service and suggestion boxes,” read the plan.

According to the plan, the DoI will make immigration offices techno-friendly, disabled-friendly, gender-friendly and transparent. “Immigration Statistical Framework will be developed to maintain database of all types of immigrants accordingly on the basis of data modelling.

Immigrant/emigrant survey will be conducted to improve the system, subject to its findings,” it says.

The plan also proposes a provision of a customer panel and publication of immigration yearbook and immigration control report each year.

“Nepal Immigration Advisory Board led by line minister will be formed for inter-agency coordination and guidance. Online system will be developed in regard to information about action against foreigners overstaying in Nepal,” read the plan.

The DoI said it was also planning to collect information about tourists and keep a close tab on their activities by establishing a network with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Department of Consular Services, Ministry of Industry, Department of Industry, Department of Tourism, Nepali embassies abroad, district administration offices, Investment Board Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board and star hotels.