ISLAMABAD: The United States Embassy in Islamabad has taken an important step by reducing the US visa appointment time by 50 percent while increasing the consular officers to reduce the backlog.
A senior US embassy official told journalists on Wednesday that the US Embassy is processing 10,000 visa applications per month by reducing the visa appointment time period from 440 days to 230 days now.
The official said that the total visa issued from the visa offices in Islamabad and Karachi reach the highest ever level in one year in 2023 while the number is expected to surpass in the ongoing US fiscal year that ends in October 2024.
Referring to the crises like situation in September 2023 when the visa appointment waiting time peaked to 440, the official said that after a number of measures taken by the embassy, the appointment waiting time has been reduced to 230 days.
It was further informed that the visa is issued within five days after the successful visa interview, adding that the delay in the visa processing time is due to the reason that each application is treated as an individual and evaluated independently.
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.
The embassy official further stated that the US visa section gives priority to the students proceeding for the visa to study there.
To a question, the official expressed inability to share with the media the high rejection rate of the B1/B2 visa applications. “We do not share the rejection rate for obvious reasons,” the official said, adding that there are many reasons due to which some applications are rejected.
In September last year, the US embassy announced several measures, after enhancing the visa processing capacity at the two centres due to highest ever demand for US visa.
One of the measures including creating flexibility for visa applicants for rebooking appointments at either the Consulate General in Karachi or US Embassy Islamabad.
The US Consulate General Karachi started accepting new interview waiver applications for some applicants who have previously been issued US visas from September 2023.
To another query, the official said that immigrant visa applications are also being processed on priority basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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