At a glance
What you are applying for
The B1/B2 visitor visa covers tourism, visiting family and friends, business meetings and conferences, and medical treatment in the United States. From Pakistan you apply online, then attend an interview at the US Embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate General in Karachi — and since August 2025 almost everyone has to attend in person, children and applicants over 79 included.
The decision is made at the interview, usually in a few minutes. Under section 214(b) of US immigration law the officer has to presume you intend to immigrate until you show otherwise, and the State Department is plain that you qualify on your own ties to Pakistan, not on assurances from family in the US. Your job, your family and your plans have to make that case, in your own words, and match your form.
Most refusals come down to one of four
- 01Ties to Pakistan
- 02Answers that match the DS-160
- 03A purpose that holds together
- 04Your own funds
USUnited States · Visit visaFACT SHEET
- Visa
- B1/B2 visitor — tourism, family visits, business meetings and medical treatment
- Where you apply
- In person at the US Embassy in Islamabad or the Consulate General in Karachi
- Interview
- Required for almost everyone applying in Pakistan since August 2025, children and over-79s included
- Validity for Pakistanis
- Up to five years with multiple entries — the officer can issue less
- Interview wait
- Months, not weeks — the State Department publishes the current wait for each post
- Length of stay
- Set by the border officer when you land, and recorded on your I-94
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