Move likely to be recipr­ocated by Washin­gton which in March reduce­d visa validi­ty from five to one yearISLAMABAD: Pakistan has announced five-year visa for American businessmen and tourists in a move that is hoped to be reciprocated by the United States that in March this year reduced visa validity for Pakistanis from five years to 12 months. The US on March 5 reduced visa validity for Pakistani citizens from five years to one-year. Meanwhile, an additional fee was levied on H (Temporary Work Visa), I (Journalist and Media Visa), L (Intercompany Transfer Visa), and R (Religious Worker Visa) visas only if the visa application was approved, said a statement issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad. The State Department had taken the decision “because Pakistan was unable to liberalise its visa regime for certain visa categories, [hence] the US was required by US law on January 21 to reduce the visa validity and increase the visa fees to match Pakistan’s practices for similar visa categories.”US reduces visa validity for Pakistanis to one yearThe State Department had said it noted discrepancies between the US visa regime and the visa regimes of many countries, including Pakistan during a recent worldwide review. B1 visa is issued for business visits while the B2 visa is for pleasure, tourism, and medical visits.

Source: The Express Tribune June 03, 2019 16:07 UTC