The US visa offices in Islamabad and Karachi were processing over 10,000 applications per month, and the wait time for appointments has been nearly halved compared to the previous year.
On Wednesday, a senior US embassy official reported that visa issuance from these offices reached record levels in 2023 and is expected to exceed this number in the current US fiscal year, ending in October 2024.
The official noted a crisis-like situation in September 2023 when visa appointment wait times peaked at 440 days. However, thanks to several measures implemented by the embassy, the wait time has now been reduced to 237 days.
Visas are generally issued within five days of the interview if the relevant officer is satisfied with the application. The official explained that delays in processing were due to the individual and independent evaluation of each application.
According to US government data, a total of 107,183 non-immigrant visas were issued from Pakistan during the fiscal year ending in October 2023, up from 72,082 in the previous year. The official anticipated that the number of visas issued would continue to rise in 2024.
The US visa section prioritizes student applications, but the official did not disclose the visa rejection rate or the total number of applications received at the Islamabad and Karachi visa sections, citing confidentiality.
In response to unprecedented demand at the Karachi consulate in September last year, the embassy implemented several measures to enhance visa processing capacity at both centers.
