The services at the US consulates in Karachi and Lahore are about to resume.
The United States (US) has announced that it will resume visa services at its consulates in Lahore and Karachi from July 20, offering relief to thousands of Pakistanis who have faced months of delays in securing visa appointments.
According to the US Embassy, the two consulates will restart regular consular operations after a four-month suspension.
They will begin processing non-immigrant visas, including visitor, student and business visas, as well as restoring routine consular services for US citizens.
The operations were suspended in March after non-essential staff were withdrawn from the two consulates due to security concerns linked to violent protests in parts of Pakistan.
The closure resulted in lengthy delays and uncertainty for visa applicants awaiting interview appointments.
The embassy said the reopening of the Lahore and Karachi consulates is expected to ease the backlog of applications and gradually improve the availability of visa appointments.
Earlier in May, the US government announced the phased closure of its Peshawar Consulate, with its services being transferred to the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The resumption of operations in Lahore and Karachi is expected to restore full visa processing capacity at the US mission in Pakistan and provide significant relief to applicants who have been waiting for consular services.
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