Karachi, March 6, 2019: US Embassy announced a Public Notice on visa changes, Reciprocity Fees and Visa Validity for Pakistan that will be effective from 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.
The fees will be:
I Visas $32
H, L, R Visas $38
Additionally, the validity periods of the visas will decrease. The new validity periods will be:
I visas: 3 months
H visas: 12 months
L visas: 12 months
R visas: 12 months
During a recent worldwide review, the Department of State noted discrepancies between the U.S. 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 U.S. law on January 21st to reduce the visa validity and increase the visa fees to match Pakistan’s practices for similar visa categories.
