US Embassy in Islamabad reduces visa wait times for Pakistanis

The US Embassy in Islamabad has announced to reduce the visa appointment wait times for Pakistani people.

According to the official announcement by the US Embassy on their X, formerly Twitter account, ‘Demand for US visas is the highest it has ever been. We are processing more visa applications than ever before and are working hard to bring down visa appointment wait times.’

In order to reduce the waiting time, the US has announced three ways for visa applicants from Pakistan to meet the ‘unprecedented demand’ for US visas.

‘First, we have expedited thousands of non-immigrant visa appointments. More than ten thousand Pakistani visa applicants originally scheduled for 2024 at the US Consulate General in Karachi are receiving notice that their appointments have been rescheduled for 2023, some as early as next week. If you have a visa appointment in the next few months at the US Consulate General in Karachi, please check your e-mail and log-in to your account at our website to confirm your expedited appointment time.’

The second method is that ‘to create added flexibility for Pakistani travellers, visa applicants can rebook appointments at either the Consulate General in Karachi or the US Embassy in lamabad—whichever  works best for them. Our hope is that this will allow applicants more freedom and flexibility to find a convenient date, time, and location.’

Furthermore,’starting September 25, US Consulate General Karachi will begin accepting new interview waiver applications for some applicants who have previously been issued US visas. Applicants can check ustraveldocs.com/pk to determine whether they are eligible, print out a confirmation letter, and submit their application materials to a drop box without the need for an appointment. The US Embassy in Islamabad is already accepting interview waiver applications for qualified applicants.’

It is pertinent to mention here that the United States Embassy in Pakistan has announced that it will facilitate Pakistanis applying for the country’s visa with a new optional visa delivery policy.