Students have been contacting us recently confused about the information that they are being fed by some educational agents stating that the US has waived visa interview worldwide. This statement could not be further from truth because there is no such provision for Pakistani prospective students hoping to apply for admissions in the United States.
Due to Covid-19 for some specific countries, the US government in 2021 gave consular officers discretion to waive the interview for F, M, and academic J visa applicants who were previously issued any type of visa, and who have never been refused a visa unless such refusal was overcome or waived, and who have no apparent ineligibility or potential ineligibility; or first-time F, M, and academic J visa applicants who are citizens or nationals of a country that participates in VWP and who have previously traveled to the United States via an ESTA authorization, provided they have no apparent ineligibility or potential ineligibility.
However, the above statements do not apply for prospective students in Pakistan. If you visit the US Travel Docs Pakistan site, you will notice that students need to get appointment for the visa interview and there is no exception. One of the questions in “FAQ” on the above mentioned website is answered as following:
“Do all nonimmigrant visa applicants have to come to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for an interview?
Yes, for most applicants. There are only a few exceptions to the interview requirement. For details on visa classes exempted from the Interview, please visit “Renew my Visa” and “Visas for Applicants under 14 and over 79”. The following applicants generally do not have to appear in person:
- Applicants for A-1, A-2 (official travelers on central government business), C-2, C-3 (central government officials in transit on central government business) or G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4 (central government officials traveling in connection with an international organization, or employees of an international organization).”
Hence, it should be clear that there is no student visa waiver for Pakistan at the moment.
