US visa appointment and interview in Pakistan: the steps

Most US visas for Pakistanis, whether to visit (B1/B2), to study (F-1) or to work, need an interview in person at a US post in Pakistan. This guide walks through the steps in the order you take them: the online form, the fee, booking the interview, what to bring and what happens after.

1. Fill in the DS-160

Every traveller fills in their own DS-160 online, children included. Keep the confirmation page: its barcode starts with "AA" and must match your appointment profile. The form asks where you will be interviewed, so read step 3 first: the post you book must be the one you name in the form. It also asks about your travel in the last 10 years and your siblings and children, so have those details ready.

2. Pay the visa fee in rupees

Create your profile on usvisascheduling.com, the appointment system the Embassy uses for Pakistan. The visa fee for a visit or student visa is USD 185; petition-based work visas such as the H-1B cost USD 205. You pay in rupees at the State Department's exchange rate, which is printed on your deposit slip:

• in cash at any Bank Alfalah branch, with the printed deposit slip and your passport;
• through the 1Bill option in your bank's online banking; or
• by Pakistani debit or credit card.

The receipt becomes active within one business day and stays valid for 365 days for booking an appointment. The fee is not refunded if your visa is refused.

Students pay one more fee before booking: the SEVIS I-901 fee of USD 350, online.

3. Islamabad or Karachi

• The Embassy in Islamabad interviews for visit, study and work visas, and is the only post in Pakistan for immigrant visas.
• The Consulate General in Karachi interviews for visit, study and work visas only, and is the only post for regular interviews for petition-based work visas. Its visa services were suspended in March 2026; if the appointment system shows no Karachi dates, book Islamabad.
• The Consulate General in Lahore issues no visas. The Consulate General in Peshawar has closed.

Book in the country where you are a citizen or where you live. If you book elsewhere, for example in Dubai, you have to show that you live there, and the fee is not refunded if you cannot.

4. Book your interview, and expect a wait

Wait times change from month to month. On 18 June 2026, the State Department's table showed:

• visitor visas (B1/B2) in Islamabad: the next appointment about six and a half months away;
• student and work visas in Islamabad: about one month, because student and work visas are given priority;
• Karachi: not booking at that date.

Book the first date you can and plan your trip around it. If you have an urgent reason, such as medical treatment, a business emergency or a course that starts before your interview date, you can ask for an earlier appointment, but only after you have booked a normal one.

5. Students: the I-20 and your social media

Before a student visa interview you need the Form I-20 from a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), signed by you. Student applicants must also set all their social media profiles to public before the interview. You can enter the United States no earlier than 30 days before the start date on your I-20.

6. What to bring

• Your passport, valid at least six months beyond your stay, and your old passports with earlier visas.
• The DS-160 confirmation page and your appointment letter.
• One 5 x 5 cm photo taken in the last six months, without glasses.
• Papers that show your situation in Pakistan: your job and salary, your business, property, your family, and the money for your trip.
• Students: the original I-20, the SEVIS fee receipt, transcripts and board certificates, test scores, and original proof of money for the first year. Photocopies of bank statements are not accepted without the originals.

At the Islamabad Embassy you cannot bring phones or bags. Applicants take the diplomatic shuttle from the shuttle building on Third Avenue (G-5); arrive 30 minutes early.

7. At the interview

US law presumes that every visitor intends to stay, until the applicant shows otherwise. The officer looks at your reasons to return to Pakistan, such as your job, business, property and family, and at whether your plans and your money match the visa. Answer honestly and briefly. Bring documents that support your answers, but the officer may not ask to see them.

8. After the interview

If the visa is issued, the Embassy keeps your passport to print it, usually for about five working days. You collect it from AEG Travel Services in Islamabad or Karachi, or pay PKR 1,900 for delivery to your home or pickup in Lahore, Sialkot or Multan.

Some applications need further administrative processing. This usually ends within 60 days; wait 90 days before you ask about it.

Renewing a visitor visa

If your earlier B1/B2 visa expired within the last 12 months and was issued when you were 18 or older, you may be able to renew without an interview. Everyone else is interviewed in person, children and older applicants included.

See the US visit visa and US student visa pages for the documents and fees of each visa.