By Sue-Ann Wayow
THREE Nepali nationals stranded in Trinidad and Tobago for over a month have been rescued.
Sersang Tamang, Tirtha Lama Waiba and Yangjen Sherpa were rescued with the cooperation of the Trinidad and Tobago government and the Nepali Embassy in the United States.
Tamang departed from Trinidad and Tobago on Monday and will arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital on Wednesday, the embassy said in a statement on Monday.
Waiba and Sherpa are scheduled to depart from Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday and will arrive in Kathmandu on Saturday.
According to the Nepali Embassy, the Nepali nationals were stranded at the Piarco International Airport due to cancellation of their return flight to Nepal upon arrival in Trinidad and Tobago, which complicated their immigration status.
In expressing thanks, the embassy stated, “The Embassy of Nepal expresses its sincere thanks to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago for their cooperation in this entire process. The Embassy also thanks Mr Tej Bahadur Lama in Trinidad and Tobago for communicating the Embassy about the status of these Nepali nationals.”
The Embassy of Nepal also urged Nepali nationals intending to travel to the Caribbean countries for tourism and other purposes to take necessary measures to ensure that their purpose of visit matches with the category of visa they have been issued.
Last week, the embassy in Washington, DC, informed visa applicants that it will be introducing Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in place of existing handwritten visa.
The ETA came into effect on Monday.
Handwritten visas would have been issued to the applicants whose applications were received at the Embassy before Monday.
All the other requirements and processes, including submission of physical passports to obtain a Nepal visa remain the same, the embassy informed.
