USA B1/B2 visa and DS-160 form: a guide for Pakistan

The B1/B2 visa is the US visitor visa for tourism, family visits, medical treatment and short business trips. For Pakistani citizens it is usually issued for up to 5 years with multiple entries, although the consular officer decides the validity in each case. The process has four parts: the DS-160 form, the fee, the appointment and the interview.

Step 1: Fill the DS-160 form

The DS-160 is the online nonimmigrant visa application on the US State Department's official site (ceac.state.gov). Every traveller, including children, needs a separate DS-160. It asks for:

• Passport details and any previous passports, US visas and refusals.
• Your full travel history for the last five years.
• Family details: parents, spouse, and relatives in the United States.
• Present and previous employment and education.
• Social media identifiers used in the last five years.
• The purpose of the trip, intended dates, address in the US and who is paying.
• A digital photo that meets the US photo rules (square, plain white background, no glasses).

Save the Application ID as soon as you start, because the form times out. At the end you sign electronically and print the confirmation page with the barcode.

Common DS-160 mistakes

• Answers that do not match what you say in the interview, especially about job, salary, relatives in the US and who is paying.
• Leaving out a previous refusal. Always declare it; officers can see your history.
• Name spelling different from the passport, or a wrong passport number.
• Choosing the wrong location, or a photo that gets rejected.
• Family members' forms that contradict each other on dates and addresses.

Step 2: Pay the fee and book the interview

The application fee for a B1/B2 visa is US$185 per person, paid before the interview and not refundable. There is no visa issuance (reciprocity) fee for Pakistani B1/B2 visas at the time of writing, but US law has added new fees in recent years, so follow the payment instructions on the official US Embassy Pakistan website. In Pakistan, visitor visa interviews take place at the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate General in Karachi; the Lahore consulate does not process visas. Waiting times can be long, so check the current wait time before planning travel dates.

Step 3: Prepare for the interview

Carry your passport, the DS-160 confirmation page, the appointment letter and your photo if requested. The officer may not ask for any documents, but keep these ready and organised:

• Employment letter, salary slips, or business registration and tax returns.
• Bank statements and, where relevant, property documents.
• Old passports with previous visas.
• For a family visit, details of the person you will visit and their status in the US.
• For business, the invitation letter from the US company or event.

Answer briefly, honestly and in your own words. The officer is assessing whether your purpose is genuine and whether you have strong reasons to return to Pakistan.

Applying as a family

Families usually apply together with one appointment per person. Keep the story consistent: the same travel dates, the same address in the US and the same sponsor across every form.

How Meridian helps

Our USA visa form filling is PKR 50,000 per person, or PKR 100,000 for a family of four applying together. We fill the DS-160 with you line by line, check it against your documents, guide you on the fee payment and appointment booking and prepare a document list for the interview day. We work online with clients across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi. If you were refused before, see what a 214(b) refusal means and how to reapply. Only the consular officer decides the visa.

Information checked 1 November 2026. Rules change, so always confirm on the official embassy or visa-centre website before you apply.