ISLAMABAD: With over 10,000 applications processing a month, the US visa offices in Islamabad and Karachi are on track to surpass all previous records for US visas issued to Pakistanis.
A senior US embassy official said on Wednesday that the number of visas issued by these offices reached a record high in 2023.
He predicted that this figure would increase in the current US fiscal year, ending in October 2024.
According to US government data, 107,183 non-immigrant visas were issued to Pakistanis in the fiscal year ending in October 2023, up from 72,082 in the previous fiscal year. The official noted that the high number of applicants led to the record number of visas issued last year, and this trend is expected to continue in 2024.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Pakistan has announced a significant reduction in visa appointment waiting times. Effective immediately, the wait time has been cut from 440 days to 230 days.
An embassy spokesperson revealed that this reduction is part of a broader initiative to streamline the visa application process, particularly for student, business, and family reunion visas.
“We are working diligently to meet the growing demand and process as many applications as possible,” the spokesperson said, underscoring the embassy’s commitment to reducing wait times.
