Do Pakistan Citizens Need a Visa for United States?
Yes. Pakistan passport holders require a visa to enter United States for most purposes, visitor, business, study, work, and family categories all need pre-approval. The information below describes the standard process and the refusal triggers to watch on this corridor.
Before you apply: the refusal you have to beat
Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act presumes every visitor-visa applicant intends to immigrate, so the applicant has to show they qualify for the visa they applied for. A refusal under it means the officer was not convinced the applicant qualified. Ties to Pakistan are evidence the officer weighs, not the whole test. The Karachi section of the Embassy's nonimmigrant visa page says some applications need additional administrative processing, with timing that varies from case to case, and recommends not buying non-refundable or non-changeable airline tickets before a visa is issued. The $185 application fee is not refunded.
The reassuring part: these refusals usually come down to how your case is presented, not who you are:
- Insufficient or inconsistent proof of funds, single large deposits with no documented source, balances that don't match declared income
- Thin evidence of ties to Pakistan, no documented employment, studies, property, or family obligations the officer can weigh as reasons you would return
- Incomplete or mismatched documentation, dates, names, and amounts that contradict between documents
- Unclear or implausible purpose, an itinerary or story the officer has to guess at
Step-by-Step: How to Apply
- Complete the DS-160 online. Fill out Form DS-160 at ceac.state.gov/genniv. All information must be correct, because the form cannot be changed once it is submitted. Keep the confirmation page with the barcode number (it starts with AA); you need it to book your appointment.
- Pay the $185 application fee. The official appointment service for Pakistan (ustraveldocs.com/pk) lists the payment options: cash at Bank Alfalah branches, electronic funds transfer, or card payment. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, and the Embassy says it stays valid for 365 days. Keep your receipt: you need it to schedule.
- Schedule your interview in Islamabad or Karachi. Scheduling is online: the appointment service's link goes to usvisascheduling.com. You need your passport, your fee receipt, your DS-160 confirmation page and an email address. The service limits how many times you can reschedule. The Embassy's page for Karachi encourages applying at least six months before travel; the appointment service says at least three.
- Attend the interview. In Islamabad, take the diplomatic shuttle from the shuttle building on Avenue 3 and arrive there 30 minutes early; in Karachi, arrive 15 minutes before your appointment. Bring your passport, DS-160 confirmation page and appointment confirmation page, and leave phones and electronics behind. The officer assesses whether you qualify for the visa you applied for. Answer honestly and keep every answer consistent with your DS-160.
- If your case goes to administrative processing. The officer tells you at the end of the interview. Follow your case at ceac.state.gov. The Embassy's page for Karachi says most cases are resolved within 60 days and asks you to wait at least 90 days before inquiring; the appointment service says 180 days.
- After the visa: pickup, entry and the I-94. Collect your passport from the pickup location you chose once you get the email or SMS. The visa lets you travel to a US port of entry, where a Customs and Border Protection officer decides whether to admit you and for how long. After you enter, look up your I-94 at i94.cbp.dhs.gov; its Admit Until Date shows how long you were admitted for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Pakistani citizens need a visa to visit the United States?
Yes. Pakistan is not on the Visa Waiver Program country list published by the Department of Homeland Security, so there is no ESTA option for Pakistani passport holders. You need a B visitor visa, the category the appointment service lists as Business/Tourist. Interviews are held at the US Embassy in Islamabad, by appointment only, and at the US Consulate General in Karachi, which conducts nonimmigrant visa interviews only. The Embassy says applicants should schedule in their country of residence or nationality.
How much does a US visa cost for Pakistanis in 2026?
The B visitor visa application fee (the MRV fee) is $185, as listed on the fee page of the official US visa appointment service for Pakistan on 12 October 2026. It is non-refundable and non-transferable and must be paid whether a visa is issued or not. The page lists cash at Bank Alfalah branches, electronic funds transfer and card payment as ways to pay, and the Embassy says a payment stays valid for 365 days from the date the receipt is issued. A separate Visa Integrity Fee was enacted on 4 July 2025 (Public Law 119-21, section 100007). The law sets it at $250 or more for a nonimmigrant visa, on top of any other fee, and adjusts it for inflation each fiscal year from 2026. It is not listed on that fee page. Separately, a State Department temporary rule in force from 1 July to 31 December 2026 says the MRV fee is set at $185 for B1/B2 applicants and is not anticipated to change while that rule is in force. Confirm at travel.state.gov before paying.
What is administrative processing, and how long does it take?
The appointment service says a refusal under Section 221(g) means essential information is missing from an application or the application needs additional administrative processing, and that the officer tells you at the end of the interview. The two official pages give different timings. The Karachi section of the Embassy's nonimmigrant visa page says most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the interview, that the exact timing varies from case to case, and that you should wait at least 90 days before asking about your case. The appointment service says most is resolved within 180 days and asks applicants to wait at least 180 days before inquiring, except for emergency travel. You can follow your case at ceac.state.gov. The same Karachi section recommends not buying non-refundable or non-changeable airline tickets before a visa is issued.
How early should I apply, and how long does processing take?
The Karachi section of the Embassy's nonimmigrant visa page encourages all applicants to apply at least six months before their intended date of travel; the appointment service says at least three months. The service links to the State Department wait-times page for the current appointment wait in Islamabad and Karachi, and says visa processing is typically five working days but can vary with individual circumstances.
Can I skip the in-person interview (interview waiver)?
Only some renewals qualify. The Embassy says that from 11 August 2025 all nonimmigrant visa applicants applying in Pakistan, including those under 14 and over 79, will generally need an in-person interview. It says certain cases might be eligible for a waiver: B1/B2 applicants who received their previous full-validity visa when they were at least 18 and are renewing within 12 months of that visa's expiration. The appointment service adds that you apply in your consular district of residence (unless you are required to apply in the country of your nationality), that all ten fingerprints were taken when the last visa was issued, that the previous visa was not lost, stolen or revoked, and that you have never been refused unless the refusal was overcome or waived. It says eligibility does not guarantee a visa and that you will be called for an interview if the consular officer has questions.
Why are B1/B2 visas refused, and can I apply again?
Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act presumes every visitor-visa applicant is an intending immigrant until they show the consular officer that they are entitled to nonimmigrant status. A refusal under it means the officer was not convinced the applicant qualified. The appointment service says the most frequent basis for such a refusal concerns the requirement to have a residence abroad that you have no intention of abandoning, which applicants show through ties that would compel them to leave the United States at the end of the stay, and it gives a job, a house, a family and a bank account as examples of ties. It also says applicants refused under Section 214(b) may reapply, and that when they do they will have to show further evidence of their ties or how their circumstances have changed.
What should I bring to the interview?
The appointment service lists what you must present: a passport valid for travel to the United States for at least six months beyond your intended stay (unless a country-specific agreement provides an exemption), your DS-160 confirmation page and your appointment confirmation page, plus one photograph to US visa specifications if the applicant is under 14. Beyond that, the Karachi section of the Embassy's nonimmigrant visa page says that, with certain exceptions such as the Form I-20 for student visa applicants, the Consulate has no specific list of supporting documents that applicants must provide: bring whatever you believe substantiates your position in Pakistan and your purpose of travel, and expect that the consular officer may or may not review it. Phones, other electronic devices, large bags, food and liquids are not allowed in, and neither post stores them.
Where are the interviews held?
In Islamabad the Consular Section is in the Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5. The Embassy says you must take the diplomatic shuttle from the Diplomatic Shuttle Service building on Avenue 3, Quaid-i-Azam University Road, in sector G-5, and should arrive at the shuttle building 30 minutes before your appointment. Only applicants with scheduled interviews are admitted; one parent may accompany a minor under 18, and one parent must accompany a child under 14. The Consulate General in Karachi is at Plot 3, 4, 5, New TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road, and the Embassy's page says to arrive at the consulate 15 minutes before the appointment time.
What do I need to know about my DS-160?
Each applicant, including children, needs their own DS-160, completed and submitted online before the interview, and once the form is submitted you cannot change it. The barcode number on its confirmation page (it starts with AA) is needed to book, and the appointment service says you must bring a DS-160 whose barcode matches the one used for your appointment or you will not be able to attend your interview. The embassy or consulate you select on the DS-160 must be the one where you schedule the interview. If you were refused a visa before, complete a new DS-160. When you sign the form you certify that it is true and correct, and the service says misrepresenting any facts could make you ineligible to enter the United States.
How do I get my passport back, and how long can I stay?
If your visa is approved, your passport and visa are collected from the pickup location you chose when you scheduled, and you receive an email and an SMS when it is ready. Premium delivery is optional and costs PKR 1,900 per person, paid in cash to the courier on delivery. You can check your visa application status online with your interview location and DS-160 barcode number. The appointment service says a visa does not guarantee entry: it lets you travel to a US port of entry and ask to be admitted, and Customs and Border Protection officers decide whether to admit you and how long you may stay. Your admission is recorded on your I-94, which shows an Admit Until Date; look it up at i94.cbp.dhs.gov after you arrive.
Does the 2026 US entry restriction proclamation cover Pakistan?
Proclamation 10998, signed on 16 December 2025 and effective from 1 January 2026, suspends or limits entry and visa issuance for nationals of the countries it names, and for people applying with Palestinian Authority travel documents. Pakistan is not among the countries named in the text published in the Federal Register (checked on 12 October 2026). The Embassy says applicants who are subject to the proclamation may still apply and attend interviews but may be ineligible for a visa. The list can change, so read the Department of State notice before you apply.
Official sources
- US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan: visas
- US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan: nonimmigrant visas
- US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan: important visa information
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: pay your visa fees
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: complete your application (DS-160)
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: schedule your appointment
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: attend your interview
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: track your passport
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: renew my visa and interview waiver
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: application refused under INA 221(g)
- Official visa appointment service for Pakistan: frequently asked questions
- Department of Homeland Security: Visa Waiver Program
- US Customs and Border Protection: I-94 arrival and departure record
- Federal Register: Proclamation 10998, restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals
- Federal Register: Department of State schedule of fees for consular services, temporary final rule in force 1 July to 31 December 2026
- Public Law 119-21, section 100007 (8 U.S.C. 1806): Visa Integrity Fee
- US Code: 8 U.S.C. 1184, admission of nonimmigrants (subsection (b), presumption of status)
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Last updated: October 12, 2026. Visa rules change without notice, always confirm the latest fee and processing time on the relevant embassy or immigration website before submitting.