US reduces visa duration for Pakistanis

The United States on Tuesday issued a new visa policy for Pakistanis reducing visa validity from five years to 12 months whereas journalists and media persons will be restricted to stay more than three months without renewing their travel permit, the American embassy announced.

“Effective January 21, 2019, an additional fee will be charged for H (Temporary Work Visa), I (Journalist and Media Visa), L (Intercompany Transfer Visa), and R (Religious Worker Visa) visas only if the visa application is approved and must be paid at the Embassy Islamabad or Consulate General Karachi prior to visa issuance” reads the statement issued by US embassy.

The additional fees for I visas will be $ 32 and for H, L, R visas $ 38 must be paid. The new validity periods for I visas will be 3 months whereas for other categories including H,L and R will be 12 months.

The statement said during a recent worldwide review, the Department of State noted discrepancies between the US visa regime and the visa regimes of many countries, including Pakistan.

“Because Pakistan was unable to liberalize its visa regime for certain visa categories, the United States was required by US law on January 21st to reduce the visa validity and increase the visa fees to match Pakistan’s practices for similar visa categories,” added the statement.