Pakistanis no longer eligible for diversity visa

Pakistanis are the seventh biggest population of immigrants in the United States and as a consequence are no longer eligible to apply for the diversity US visas. The diversity US visa is a form of immigration lottery enabling families from nations with low immigration rates to the US to qualify for a US visa. It was used by Pakistanis, resulting in the country now having a Pakistani immigration populace of between 700,000 and a million.

US law means that diversity US visas can only consider those from a nation with a low rate of immigrants, according to Karachi US spokesman, Brian Asmus. Between 2005 and 2014 Pakistan had just 104,000 immigrants, which is why Pakistanis can no longer apply to come to the United States using the diversity US visas.

There are other options that Pakistanis can use to come to the United States. These include petitions and visitor, exchange program and student US visas. There is also the standard immigrant US visas for those who have immediate family members already living in the country, according to the Non-immigrant visa chief for the US Consulate, Mary Pellegrini.

Pellegrini says that the immigration process can take around a year for children and spouses, two years for parents, and up to ten years for siblings. She points out that Pakistanis who have immigrated to the United States have done well, with an average Pakistani immigrant earning around $63,000 per annum in comparison to the $51,000 per year income earned by the average American.