Looking for assistance from the Nonimmigrant Visa Units in U.S. Embassy Islamabad or Consulate General Karachi? Our NIV Navigator will help you find resources and information about nonimmigrant visa services offered by the U.S. Mission in Pakistan. You can click on Nonimmigrant Visa Navigator or scan the QR code to access it from your phone.
The Nonimmigrant Visa Units of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and Consulate General Karachi are responsible for providing visa services to those seeking to enter the United States for a temporary period as tourists, business people, students, or specialty workers.
Visa interview scheduling, information services, fee collection, and document delivery in Pakistan are facilitated by a third-party company, CGI. Please visit CGI Pakistan’s website for complete information on applying for a nonimmigrant U.S. visa, including a directory of nonimmigrant visa categories.
U.S. Embassy Islamabad and Consulate General Karachi prioritize students/exchange visitors (F and J visas) and temporary employees (H, L, O, P, and C1D visas). Travelers with urgent (i.e., matter of life or death) travel needs should check the requirements and process for an expedited appointment here.
Please note that certain cases are eligible for interview waiver, including certain renewals and most applicants under 14 or over 79. Learn more about interview waiver eligibility criteria here.
All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee. Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period. Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period. There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period. All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.
On June 17, 2023, the application fee for U.S. visitor visas and other non-petition based NIVs will increase from $160 to $185. Petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q, and R) visa fees will increase from $190 to $205. E visa application fees will increase from $205 to $315. Learn more about the fee increase here.
Contact Us
Consular Section
Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5
U.S. Embassy Islamabad
Pakistan
Nonimmigrant Visa Inquiries
Check the status of your case at https://ceac.state.gov/CEAC/.
To submit an inquiry to the NIV section, click here.
Karachi:
Consulate General of the United States of America
3,4,5 New TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road
Karachi
Visiting the Embassy or Consulate
Location
The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is located in the Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad. To visit the Consular Section for an interview you must take the diplomatic shuttle from the Diplomatic Shuttle Service building located at Avenue 3, Quaid-i-Azam University road in sector G/5. Please arrive at the shuttle service building 30 minutes prior to your appointment. The shuttle will take you to the Consular Section’s reception area where guards will conduct a screening and bring you inside the section.
Hours of Operation
The visa section of the U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, conducts immigrant and nonimmigrant visa interviews, by appointment only, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except for Pakistani and American public holidays and administrative closures.
Security Restrictions: What Not to Bring to the Interview
The Embassy does not permit interested parties such as friends, relatives, attorneys, or business contacts to attend visa interviews with the applicant.
The following items are not allowed in the Embassy during your interview: mobile phones, electronic personal digital assistants, cameras, smart watches and glasses, audio or video recording devices, laptop computers, portable music players, travel bags, back packs, brief cases, suit cases, cosmetics (including but not limited to spray perfume/cologne and talcum/baby powder), bottles of any kind, food items, and any sealed envelopes or packages.
Other items may be prohibited based on security staff discretion. There is no storage at the Embassy for prohibited items, but you may leave cell phones and other small personal items with the shuttle service. If you bring prohibited items with you to the Embassy, you will have to dispose of them before entry.
