Embassies and consulates · Pakistan
Islamabad: U.S. visa waits, scheduling and visas issued
As of September 17, 2026, the State Department lists a wait of 2 months for student visa appointments and 12.5 months for visitor visas at Islamabad. 161 of 186 posts list a shorter student wait.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
By visa type
Student and exchange visas
2 months wait
3,457 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Visitor visas
12.5 months wait
18,319 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Temporary work visas
4.5 months wait
1,562 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Immigrant visas
Scheduling Sep 2025
21,338 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Appointment waits at Islamabad
The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for Islamabad on September 17, 2026.
| Visa class | Islamabad | Median post | Posts with a shorter wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available | 12.5 months | 1 month | 176 of 187 |
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), average wait | 10.5 months | 5.75 months | 31 of 38 |
| Student and exchange (F, M, J) | 2 months | 15 days | 161 of 186 |
| Petition-based work (H, L, O, P, Q) | 4.5 months | 15 days | 175 of 184 |
| Crew and transit (C, D, C1/D) | 4.5 months | 15 days | 166 of 174 |
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
Islamabad student wait over time
Islamabad has ranged 0.8999999999999999 days to 2 months across 24 months on record, and today's figure is at the high end. It has been faster before, so re-check before making an irreversible decision. The median over that time was 1 month.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
Immigrant visa interview scheduling at Islamabad
In its October 7, 2026 update, the State Department listed the month a case had to become documentarily complete for the National Visa Center (NVC) to be scheduling its interview at Islamabad.
Immediate relative
September 2025
13 months behind
Family-sponsored preference
October 2024
24 months behind
Employment-based preference
May 2026
5 months behind
Source: U.S. Department of State: IV Scheduling Status Tool · Published 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
Earlier scheduling months at Islamabad →Visas issued at Islamabad
The State Department reports how many visas each post issues every month. These counts are where visas were issued, not the nationality of the people who received them.
Nonimmigrant visas, February 2026
1,105
59% fewer than February 2025 (2,713). 24,747 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Immigrant visas, February 2026
5
100% fewer than February 2025 (2,181). 21,338 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Sources: U.S. Department of State: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances and U.S. Department of State: Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuances · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
Every visa class issued at Islamabad →Visitor visa refusal rate for Pakistan nationals
The State Department publishes refusal rates by nationality, counting applicants at every post, not by post. A refusal is what applicants usually call a visa rejection. This is the rate for nationals of Pakistan wherever they applied, not a rate for Islamabad.
Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025
52.32%
Ranks 53 of 199 nationalities, highest first.
How the rate is calculated →Source: U.S. Department of State: Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas by Nationality · Retrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025
Get an email when Islamabad changes
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 12.5 months now
We email you once each time the State Department publishes a different figure. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
Other U.S. posts in Pakistan
- KarachiStudent wait 1 month
Where these figures come from
- U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times by EmbassyPublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
- U.S. Student Visa Appointment Wait Times Over TimePublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
- U.S. Immigrant Visa Interview Scheduling by EmbassyPublished 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
- U.S. Visa Issuances by Post, MonthlyRetrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
- U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Refusal Rates by NationalityRetrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025
The State Department publishes each of these separately, on its own schedule. We show each one with its own date and never add figures from one to another.