ISLAMABAD: The US visa offices in Islamabad and Karachi were processing more than 10,000 applications a month and the appointment waiting time has also been reduced by almost half compared to last year.

A senior US embassy official informed the media here on Wednesday that the number of visas issued from offices in Islamabad and Karachi reached the highest level in 2023.

He said the number will surpass in the ongoing US fiscal year that ends in October 2024.

The official referred to a crisis-like situation in September 2023 when the visa appointment waiting time peaked to 440 days, adding that after a number of measures taken by the embassy, the appointment waiting time has now been reduced to 237 days.

However, he said, visas are issued within five days after the interview if the relevant officer was convinced.

The official said that the delay in the visa applications processing time was because each application is treated individually and evaluated independently.

The figures available at the website of the US government show that a total of 107,183 non-immigration visas were issued from Pakistan during the fiscal year ending in October 2023, compared to 72,082 visas issued in the previous fiscal year.

The official said that due to the high number of applicants, the highest-ever visas were issued last year and the number is expected to increase in 2024.

The official said the US visa section gives priority to students.

However, the official declined to inform journalists about the visa application rejection rate and the total number of applications received at the visa section in Islamabad and Karachi, on the grounds that such data was not made public.

Due to the highest-ever demand for US visas faced by the US embassy at the Karachi consulate in September last year, the embassy announced several measures and enhan­ced the visa processing capacity at the two centres.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2024