Islamabad: The US embassy in Pakistan has seen a significant surge in visa processing, with offices in Islamabad and Karachi handling over 10,000 applications per month.
A senior embassy official disclosed on Wednesday that the number of visas issued in 2023 reached a record high, with expectations of surpassing this figure in the current fiscal year ending in October 2024.
Reduced waiting times
The official acknowledged a crisis point in September 2023 when visa appointment wait times peaked at a daunting 440 days. However, due to a series of measures implemented by the embassy, this period has been cut down to 237 days. The official emphasized that once an applicant clears the interview, the visa is typically issued within five days.
Challenges and priorities
The official said that the delay in the visa application processing time was because each application is treated individually and evaluated independently.
Data Restrictions
While the official provided insights into the increased visa processing, they declined to disclose the overall number of visa applications received or the rejection rate, citing privacy concerns.
Record-breaking year
Official figures indicate that a total of 107,183 non-immigrant visas were issued from Pakistan during the fiscal year ending in October 2023, a substantial increase from the 72,082 visas issued in the previous year.
Source: Dawn