Pakistan on Thursday said it hoped the United States would “soon” resume immigrant visa processing, describing the recent suspension as part of an internal policy review by Washington.
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The United States on Wednesday announced a suspension of immigrant visa processing for Pakistan and 74 other countries, effective January 21. The decision was linked to concerns that immigrants from these countries may rely on public welfare programmes. In a statement, the US State Department said the freeze would remain in place until authorities could ensure that new immigrants would not “extract wealth from the American people”.
Responding to media queries, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan had taken note of reports regarding the suspension. He explained that the announcement appeared to be a brief statement issued on the US State Department’s social media platforms as part of an ongoing internal review of immigration policies.
“We are in touch with the US authorities to ascertain further details. This is an evolving situation that we are closely following,” Andrabi said.
He added that Pakistan understood the move as an internal review process and expressed hope that routine immigrant visa processing would resume in the near future.
The suspension is expected to delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis who apply for US visas each year. Pakistani consulates in the United States are expected to issue guidance to affected applicants in the coming days. While visa service suspensions have occurred in the past, officials have described the scale of the current action as unprecedented. No timeline has been announced for the resumption of services.
Commenting on the ongoing unrest in Iran and rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan was closely monitoring developments. He emphasized Iran’s importance as a neighbouring country and a key member of the international community.
Pakistan, he said, hoped for peace and stability in Iran and reaffirmed support for efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the situation. Andrabi noted that protests in Iran were largely triggered by economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, worsened by international sanctions, and expressed hope that relief measures announced by the Iranian government would ease public hardship.
He stated that Pakistan had full confidence in the Iranian people and their leadership to overcome current challenges and stressed that a stable and peaceful Iran was in Pakistan’s national interest. He also advised Pakistanis to reconsider travel to Iran in line with the Foreign Office’s recent travel advisory, assuring that Pakistan’s embassy in Tehran was actively assisting nationals currently in the country.
Separately, Pakistan strongly rejected remarks by Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who alleged the existence of militant camps across the Line of Control and the international border following India’s May 2025 strikes.
Responding to the claims, the FO spokesperson termed the allegations “baseless, cliched, and delusional,” stressing that Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism were internationally recognised. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to peace and regional stability.
