I recently applied for the US B2 Visa from the Karachi consulate of the US on January 03, 2018 along with my wife.
First and foremost, after getting the necessary documentation done, I paid the visa fee at Allied Bank Tauheed Commercial Street on December 29, 2017, I kept on trying to validate my payment at https://cgifederal.secure.force.com so i could get my early appointment for the interview, despite several attempts till January 01, 2018.
Eventually I finally managed to contact the consulate’s helpdesk and on January 02, I received an email that my case has been updated. Thereafter, I scheduled my appointment at 7:30am for January 03, 2018.
On January 03, I arrived at the consulate at 7:00am as per the instructions given on the appointment form. At the front gate, an SMS security guard checked our passport/visa appointment letter etc. after initial scanning and security check at the front gate, I was asked to proceed inside to the consulate building and my wife was asked to stay outside the main gate, so a female security personnel could check her, who was not there even though she should have been.
After waiting for around 35 minutes or so outside the front gate, around 7:35am, my wife finally managed to come in and we went to the visa office after another security check. Now most consulates and embassies in Pakistan have no concept of waiting rooms or a proper seating arrangements for applicants. One has to stand in a huddle in an area having no proper seating arrangements, all the while being treated disparagingly. It reminded me of the movie “World War Z”, where zombies are separated from humans and confined to a sort of zombie land.
After making my way to the visa counter after getting our bio-metric done at Counters 01 & 07, we finally, reached counter 04, where a female visa-officer seated behind a glass window, w was speaking into a microphone. Before taking our travel documents, she asked my wife, why she wants to travel US, I told her she wants to visit Disney Land, Universal Studio and also would visit her Aunt, who lives in Riverside, California, then my wife took the lead.
Besides, visiting Los Angeles, Los Vegas and New York, my wife, who had a dream to see Disney Land and Universal Studio (along with visiting other tourist attractions), never traveled abroad before, as she is claustrophobic, and therefore I had to convenience her for the journey. Unlike my wife, I have traveled the world, including US, UK and Schengen Countries on multiple occasions. The lady visa officer (Afro American), appeared to be in a very bad mood, (after Trump’s recent statement), asked my wife, why you guys hasn’t traveled to Thailand or any other countries, I explained to her that my wife never had a travel history as she was claustrophobic, now I have convinced her to travel with me. Then she asked my wife, how old is she, my wife replied 35, the lady officer asked how is that possible a 35 years old lady has never worked before. I think, every person has own circumstances and in our society, being a housewife is not a blasphemy.
After few questions, the lady kept on typing for a few minutes, I found out that application could not be entertained with mine. When I looked at my wife face, she was like, “I told you so”.
Devastated, my experience was unpleasant to say the least, a person who has travelled the world wants to take his wife to a place where she wants to go first, rather than going to Thailand or any sex tourist friendly country.
A person whose income is much higher than the per capita income of US citizen, who travels multiple times in a year, who has a lavish life style in Pakistan, would never ever want to skip his visa with his wife for the ‘privilege’ of flipping burgers in the US.
You need travel history and a reason to return to the country to have a shot at getting a visa. No job to come back to, no travel history, not enrolled anywhere is more than enough to deny a visa request. A visa request being denied isn’t a nightmare.
so what happened? Did you and your wife get the visa?
I Personally feel you don’t need to visit USA despite knowing current circumstances.
They keep saying you don’t visit to us and you keen to go their… You willing to enter someone home and they have no wish you visit, its their choice…
Ist world countries citizens travel once a year for holidays, therefore to them Its hard to digest , ist time traveler willing to visit US despite DISNEY WORLD CHINA available next to your country.
They don’t offer visa basis of your money, they get scare 3rd world countries citizens may not indulge with them, so batter they keep away us from them… example Poor IRISH, ITALIAN citizens can visit US without visas.
My best advice to all, Practice SELF RESPECT policy, travel where you get respect…..