In order to apply for a US visa from Pakistan, you will need to submit an online application form called D-160 and pay the appropriate fees, followed by an appointment at the embassy for an interview. I have applied for a US visa myself with a Pakistani passport and I’m going to explain the process to you step by step.
If you are applying for a tourist visa, you will need to provide proof of your travel plans. A travel plan is a detailed itinerary of your planned trip to the United States. It will be asked in the DS-160 form when starting the process.
Note: If you need visa consultancy about a US visa or any other visa then I offer a paid consultancy by WhatsApp or Zoom call in which you will be able to talk to me for 30 minutes and explain your situation. You can book an appointment for visa consultancy by contacting us via email (everyvisa5@gmail.com) or by messaging us on WhatsApp: +923112127101.
- How to Apply for a US visa from Pakistan?
- USA Visa Requirements for Pakistani Passport
- Additional Documents for a US Visa from Pakistan
- US visa interview Questions for Pakistani citizens
- US visa real questions asked by the visa officer
- What is Administrative Processing for US Visa?
- Is Travel History a Must for US Visa?
- How Much Bank Statement is Required?
- The conclusion of a US visa
How to Apply for a US visa from Pakistan?
I am going to explain step by step process for a US visa in Pakistan. First thing is first, you have to start the process by going to this website and fill the D-160 form online. After filling out the form online, you will then go to another website and register yourself there.
After filling out the D-160 form on the first website, you will then register on the second website for an appointment. That website will generate a fee slip for you which you will take to an Allied Bank branch and fee the required visa fee. After paying the visa fee, you will be able to book an appointment after one day. On the day of the appointment, you will be interviewed by a visa officer at the embassy or consulate.
USA Visa Requirements for Pakistani Passport
The US embassy in Islamabad and the consulate general in Karachi receive non-immigrant visa applications from Pakistani applicants. The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and FATA should submit their applications to the embassy in Islamabad while the people of Sindh and Balochistan should reach the consulate general in Karachi.
Basic requirements for a US visa in Pakistan:
- A passport, valid for at least 6 months
- Appointment letter (Printed)
- Visa application confirmation (Printed)
The above-mentioned required documents are the ones that you must take to the embassy or consulate in order to apply for a US visa in Pakistan. I will share other supporting documents listed below.
Additional Documents for a US Visa from Pakistan
You should take some additional documents with you to support your visa application. But that’s not compulsory. The most important thing in obtaining a US visa is the interview. If you satisfied the interviewing officer with your straightforward and true answers then your chances are high. Here is the list of additional documents that you can take with you.
1. Bank statement for the last 6 months
2. Marriage Certificate (if you are married)
3. B-form of your children (if children are going with you)
4. FRC – Family registration certificate (in case the family is going)
5. Employment Letter (If doing a job)
6. Leave Certificate (If doing a job)
7. Company Registration & Relevant Documents (If doing business)
8. Property papers (if you own property in Pakistan)
The above documents are optional. However, if the officer asks for a document, only then show it to him/her. If the officer can not understand what you are saying then you should provide a document that can make the officer understand what you are saying. In my case, the officer only asked for a bank statement. She saw it and give it back to me instantly.
I was telling her about my reason to visit the US. She could not understand me properly because she was inside the window. Therefore, I showed her the invitation letter that I received from the US company I was visiting. This made her understand what I was saying about my reason to visit the USA.
US visa interview Questions for Pakistani citizens
The US visa process has two parts. The first part is when you submit the application online and the second part is an interview at the embassy. In the first part, you send them all the information they need including your passport details and reason to visit the USA. When you go to face the officer, they know you already from the information you submitted in the form and they also get data from different databases. Don’t tell a lie in your application. They will catch it and then your visa might get refused.
They will start the visa interview with very basic questions that you already have answered in the visa application form such as why are you going to the USA? how long will you stay? etc.
They will ask you follow-up questions and cross-questions during the 5 to 6 minutes interview. They want to know your genuine intent to visit the USA. They are trained individuals, they can easily catch whether you are speaking the truth or lying.
Just be natural and answer the questions. You must be consistent with your statements because most of the questions are taken from your own visa application which you submitted while filing out the D-160 form online.
In my case, the officer asked me simple questions. I want to show you the conversation between me and the visa officer below in the following format (Interview Language: English).
US visa real questions asked by the visa officer
Visa Officer: Are you married?
Me: Yes
Visa Officer: Do you have kids?
Me: Yes, I have 3 kids.
Visa Officer: What do your kids do?
Me: They study in School
Visa Officer: Why are you going to the US?
Me: I am going to the United States for attending a conference
Visa Officer: What benefit will this conference give you?
Me: This is a life-changing conference for me because
there is no recording available for this conference.
Visa Officer: Did you visit any other country?
Me: Yes, I have visited Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka & UAE
Visa Officer: Where did you go in Thailand?
Me: Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya
Visa Officer: Can I see your bank statement?
Me: Yes, Sure.
Visa Officer: What do you do for a living?
Me: I am an online teacher at Udemy.com, I have 100,000 students.
Visa Officer: Can you show me your online teaching account?
Me: Yes, please write “Abdul Wali” in the Udemy search box
Visa Officer: Your visa has been approved
Me: Thank you.
This was the exact conversation (interview) I had with the visa officer. The main thing is, you should act naturally. Do not be scared, be confident but don’t be overconfident. Some people give a lot of information voluntarily without being asked for it. Only answer to questions that are asked and if something is not clear then of course you can speak to the officer to clear your points.
US visa is based on points, if you have more strong points then probably the visa will be approved. Visa officers make a decision based on criteria set for visa applicants.
What is Administrative Processing for US Visa?
These days, it’s very common that your US visa application may go through the administrative process. The administrative process is a security background check that’s mostly done in the USA by the FBI or some other US agency.
If the visa officer takes your passport and gives you a paper that mentions administrative processing then in principle, your US visa is approved but the visa officer wants a security check done on you by the US government.
This process may take one week to one year. It is a case-by-case process and my visa application was in the administrative process for just one week. However, some people have reported that it has taken more than six months for them.
Is Travel History a Must for US Visa?
Not necessarily. If your other points are strong such as home ties and professional background then you don’t really need too much travel history.
I don’t understand why people just visit countries for making travel history. When I applied for a US visa, I had only visited Thailand, Malaysia, UAE, and Sri Lanka.
But I did not visit these countries to apply for a US visa. Although, My UK visa got refused 15 days before I applied for a US visa.
However, if you are a young guy under 30, and you are not married then you should have some travel history to make your case stronger. US visa approval chances are higher for those who are married and have a good professional background.
Visa officers want to know what you are leaving behind in your home country so you can come back. Your family (spouse & kids) are the most important home ties for them. If you have a good-running business, that’s also a good home tie. A good long-term job comes under home ties for visa purposes.
Let me give you an example. One of my close friends was refused two times for a US visa. He had a very strong case, but he was unmarried and never traveled outside Pakistan. He is 24 years old. One of my other friends is 42 years old, married, and has children. He has a very normal income and only a travel history of Malaysia & Dubai. But his visa was approved within five minutes.
The US visa process is one of the easiest in the world. I call it a gamble for Pakistanis. You will either get a visa within five minutes on the day of your interview or you will lose $160. That’s what I call it. But I would strongly suggest, do not make silly mistakes. Your reason to visit the USA must be a genuine reason that you can explain very well to the visa officer if they ask questions about it.
How Much Bank Statement is Required?
Short answer: The more the better. If you have millions in your bank account, that’s very good. But for a working-class person, this is not possible. The USA is an expensive country and very far from Pakistan. So if you are applying for a visit visa then you must have funds available in your account. You should also be receiving a good salary or income which shows that you have a good income flow in Pakistan.
Let’s say if you earn Rs.100,000 a month in Pakistan then you should have some 1 million PKR in your account. That will make sense because you saved that money from your earnings. You should also calculate how much you earn and how much You spend. If your spending is more or near to your earnings then it will make a weak point. I suggest submitting a bank statement with more than 1 million rupees. Again, because the US is a very expensive place.
The conclusion of a US visa
If you are not married then try to make business or job ties, property ties, and travel history. If you are a frequent traveler like me then visiting the USA for tourism purposes will make sense. After all, the USA grants a visa for 5 years that’s a lot. Therefore, it’s always worth applying for a US visa. If you are successful then many doors will open for you because there are many countries that allow you visa-free entry on a valid US visa such as Turkey, Georgia, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. If you have a US visa then chances are that you will obtain a Canadian visa on a Pakistani passport.
