U.S. Embassy Islamabad is processing immigrant visas across all categories. However, with significant backlogs in most categories and continuing staffing shortages, wait times for interviews are lengthy. It is not possible to provide precise wait times as staffing and local conditions affect capacity and scheduling. If you have a life or death emergency and need to request expedited processing, please contact NVCExpedite@state.gov and follow this guidance: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/national-visa-center/immigrant-visas-processing-general-faqs.html. If you would like to check the status of your case, please contact us here: https://pk.usembassy.gov/visas/immigrant-visa-inquiries/
Immigrant visas to the United States are processed for citizens and residents of Pakistan at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
To apply for an immigrant visa, a foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. The sponsor begins the process by filing a petition on the foreign citizen’s behalf with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You may wish to review our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to learn about the different types of immigrant visas to the United States, including our Diversity Visa Program. Then, follow the steps on the Immigrant Visa Process, or on the Diversity Visa Process, on usvisas.state.gov to begin the process for an immigrant visa petition.
Once USCIS has approved your petition and you have completed pre-processing with the National Visa Center (NVC), or if you have been selected in the Diversity Visa Lottery and completed processing with the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), review the instructions given to you by the NVC or the KCC, along with the information presented on this website, for further guidance and instructions.
