Tag: US Embassy

  • US Embassy in Islamabad reduces visa wait times for Pakistanis

    US Embassy in Islamabad reduces visa wait times for Pakistanis

    The US Embassy in Islamabad has announced to reduce the visa appointment wait times for Pakistani people.

    According to the official announcement by the US Embassy on their X, formerly Twitter account, ‘Demand for US visas is the highest it has ever been. We are processing more visa applications than ever before and are working hard to bring down visa appointment wait times.’

    In order to reduce the waiting time, the US has announced three ways for visa applicants from Pakistan to meet the ‘unprecedented demand’ for US visas.

    ‘First, we have expedited thousands of non-immigrant visa appointments. More than ten thousand Pakistani visa applicants originally scheduled for 2024 at the US Consulate General in Karachi are receiving notice that their appointments have been rescheduled for 2023, some as early as next week. If you have a visa appointment in the next few months at the US Consulate General in Karachi, please check your e-mail and log-in to your account at our website to confirm your expedited appointment time.’

    The second method is that ‘to create added flexibility for Pakistani travellers, visa applicants can rebook appointments at either the Consulate General in Karachi or the US Embassy in lamabad—whichever  works best for them. Our hope is that this will allow applicants more freedom and flexibility to find a convenient date, time, and location.’

    Furthermore,’starting September 25, US Consulate General Karachi will begin accepting new interview waiver applications for some applicants who have previously been issued US visas. Applicants can check ustraveldocs.com/pk to determine whether they are eligible, print out a confirmation letter, and submit their application materials to a drop box without the need for an appointment. The US Embassy in Islamabad is already accepting interview waiver applications for qualified applicants.’

    It is pertinent to mention here that the United States Embassy in Pakistan has announced that it will facilitate Pakistanis applying for the country’s visa with a new optional visa delivery policy.

  • US embassy in Pakistan issues security warning, cancels appointments

    US embassy in Pakistan issues security warning, cancels appointments

    The US Embassy in Islamabad has announced the cancellation of all routine consular appointments scheduled for Monday due to security concerns. The embassy issued a security alert on Sunday, stating that there is a possibility of road closures and/or traffic delays, which could impede the movement of people.

    The alert clarified that although the embassy is still operational, it is limiting the movements of its personnel to official and mission-essential travel only. The US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, however, are open for routine consular appointments, according to the notification.

    US citizens who are traveling in-country are advised to be aware of potential disruptions to mobile phone service and have contingency communication plans in place. The embassy urges US citizens to remain vigilant and maintain good situational awareness of their surroundings. It also recommends that they pay attention to local media for security updates and planned road closures.

    Furthermore, the US embassy strongly encourages its citizens to avoid large gatherings, unnecessary travel, and comply with all established security checkpoints. It is essential to take the necessary precautions and maintain a high level of security awareness to ensure personal safety while traveling in Pakistan.

  • US expresses confidence in Pakistan’s economic policies and offers support for bilateral relations

    US expresses confidence in Pakistan’s economic policies and offers support for bilateral relations

    On Wednesday, Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme during a meeting with US Embassy Charge’d Affaires Andrew Schofer at the Finance Division.

    Dar informed Schofer about the ongoing programme and assured him that the government was dedicated to completing it. Schofer expressed his confidence in Pakistan’s economic policies and programs and offered his support to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two nations.

    The finance minister also discussed the current economic challenges and policy decisions taken by the government to stabilize and promote sustainable and inclusive growth. Both parties exchanged their views on the notable bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan.

    Dar thanked the US Charge’d Affaires and reiterated the government’s desire to expand bilateral trade and investment ties. The meeting followed a report published by The News that stated the IMF and Pakistani authorities were holding each other responsible for the delay in reviving the stalled programme.

    It is still uncertain how Pakistan will proceed to accomplish the current IMF programme, which expires on June 30, 2023.

  • Indian call centre scammers looted $10 billion from Americans in 2021

    Indian call centre scammers looted $10 billion from Americans in 2021

    According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, US citizens lost more than $10 billion in 2022 as a result of phishing calls made by illegal Indian call centres.

    The Times Of India stated citing FBI data that the majority of the victims of these fraud calls from Indian phishing gangs were senior US nationals over the age of 60 who lost more than $3 billion.

    The FBI has now sent a permanent representative to the US embassy in New Delhi following many incidences that were reported in 2022. To bust these gangs that have threatened to make India the hub of such illegal call centres, the representative will work closely with the CBI, Interpol, and the Delhi Police.

    So far in 2022, Americans have lost a total of $10.2 billion to such hoax calls, a 47 per cent increase over the $6.9 billion lost in 2021.

    Suhel Daud, the FBI’s South Asia director, told the publication that “romance-related” scams totaled INR 8,000 crore (PKR 217.7 billion) in 2021 and INR 8,000 crore (PKR 217.7 billion) in the final 11 months of 2022. Losses from “tech support” fraud have topped $3 billion in the last two years, with $347 million in 2021 and $781 million in 2022 so far.

    “It may not be a national security concern yet, but the reputation (of a country) is involved, and we don’t want India to suffer on that count,” Daud told the publication.

    He also stated that the FBI received 850,000 complaints regarding cyber crimes in 2021 and over 780,000 lakh complaints so far in 2022. Investment-related cybercrime ($3 billion), corporate email compromise ($2.4 billion), personal data breach ($1.2 billion), romance ($1 billion), and tech support ($781 million) were among the concerns.

  • US Congressman expresses concern over the flood crisis in Pakistan

    US Congressman expresses concern over the flood crisis in Pakistan

    United States (US) Congressman Gregory W. Meeks has expressed sympathies and offered condolences over the loss of hundreds of lives due to the catastrophic situation of floods in Pakistan.

    Meeks, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, held a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Masood Khan.

    During the meeting, Khan thanked Chairman Meeks for expressing solidarity with the flood victims, saying that the country is trying to deal with this natural catastrophe, reports Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).

    Khan also thanked the US for its financial assistance for the Pakistani flood victims and relief activities.

    Earlier, US Secretary Antony Blinken had announced $1 million to build resilience against natural disasters in addition to $100,000 in immediate relief for the flood victims of Pakistan.

    Meeks visited Pakistan in 2020. During the visit, he met Pakistani parliamentary and government leaders and members of civil society.

    On Thursday, the Pakistani government declared the ongoing flood situation in the country a “national emergency”. 

    At least 937 people have died in floods caused by heavy rains in Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

    According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 234 people have lost their lives to rain and flood-related incidents in Balochistan and 306 people have lost their lives in Sindh. 165 people have lost their lives in Punjab and 185 have lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

  • Nine Pakistani female entrepreneurs flying to US for mentoring, networking

    Nine Pakistani female entrepreneurs flying to US for mentoring, networking

    A programme financed by the United States (US) Embassy and introduced by the Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) Islamabad, sent nine Pakistani women entrepreneurs to the US this week.

    The Accelerator Programme for Women Entrepreneurs is a one-of-a-kind training programme and competition that offers women-owned Pakistani start-ups exposure to American business tools, coaching, and mentorship.

    450 women-owned companies responded enthusiastically to the programme. The top 12 start-ups were chosen for a 15-week Founders Institute Acceleration Programme after a comprehensive round of mentoring sessions and pitching contests.

    Nine women entrepreneurs were chosen from among the 12 start-ups for an in-person acceleration exchange. Women entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to attend important conferences and visit the offices of big corporations like as Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and PayPal during their tour.

    They’ll also stop by 9 Mile Labs, Kiwi Tech, Angel Pad, and Alchemist, all of which are situated in the United States. Throughout the eight-week programme, the participants will have many networking opportunities and will pitch to selected US-based investors on both the east and west coasts.

    Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Syed Amin-Ul-Haque said that this initiative offers Pakistani women entrepreneurs connectivity to global startups and foreign investors, speaking at a ceremony organised by the TIE Islamabad chapter before the departure of the Pakistani women entrepreneurs to the United States.

  • US embassy nominates ASP Amna Baig for prestigious award

    US embassy nominates ASP Amna Baig for prestigious award

    United States embassy has nominated Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amna Baig for International Women of Courage award. She was nominated during an event held to mark the 30th anniversary of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, hosted by US Embassy Charge d’affaires Angela P Aggeler.

    Amna Baig is in charge of the law enforcement’s Gender Protection Unit – a government initiative to facilitate women and transgender individuals in their fight against discrimination and injustice. 

    The award recognises women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.

    “Even though gender-based violence is pervasive, it is not inevitable,” Charge d’affaires Aggeler said at the event. She also added that it was in this spirit that the embassy nominated ASP Baig for the award.

    “It can and must be prevented. This is why we take this time each year to reinvigorate our efforts against gender-based violence and to call for greater collective and individual action to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women.”

  • US issues its first passport with ‘X’ gender marker

    US issues its first passport with ‘X’ gender marker

    According to a statement from the United States (US) State Department, the first American passport with an “X” gender marking was issued on Wednesday, aiming to allow non-binary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming people to mark themselves other than male or female on their travel document, Reuters has reported.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in June that the X marker would be offered as an option on passports, following other countries, including Canada, Germany, Australia and India, which already offer a third gender on documents.

    US Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that the US was moving toward adding the “X” gender marker as an option for those applying for US passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad.

  • Biden nominates a new US Ambassador to Pakistan

    Biden nominates a new US Ambassador to Pakistan

    US President Joe Biden is nominating a career diplomat Donald Blome as his envoy to Pakistan, soon after U.S. troops left Afghanistan, giving up control to the Taliban and plunging the country into crisis.

    Blome is currently serving as the US ambassador in Tunisia. He previously worked in the Kabul embassy and is a career Foreign Service diplomat.

    The United States has frozen access to aid or foreign reserves in Afghanistan and the country is on the verge of humanitarian collapse.

    The nomination comes at a time when the U.S. is also interested in Pakistan’s relationship with China.

    Tunisia, where Blome has worked as ambassador since 2019, is an important diplomatic outpost for the United States in North Africa, representing interests beyond the country’s borders, including in neighbouring Libya.

    The ambassadorial position requires Senate confirmation.

  • ‘Have adequate medical attention, clothing’, US embassy issues clarification on sending supplies to Zahir Jaffer

    The US Embassy in Islamabad has issued a clarification on sending a courier containing books, perfumes, clothes and shampoo to Zahir Jaffer.

    “U.S. embassies & consulates abroad are required by U.S. and international law to provide assistance to American citizens (USCITs) who are incarcerated or detained abroad, regardless of the charges against them,” the Embassy said in a tweet.

    “When a USCIT is detained overseas, we work to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Consular assistance may include visiting arrested USCITs in prison to ensure proper treatment,” the embassy added in a tweet.

    “It includes verification that they have a diet that meets subsistence levels, have adequate medical attention and clothing, and provides reference materials of U.S. origin. As a USCIT, your passport won’t help you avoid arrest or conviction.”

    The Islamabad High Court will indict 12 persons in the Noor Mukadam case on October 6.