If you or your spouse is from Pakistan and you’re navigating the U.S. immigration system right now, you’re facing one of the most challenging environments we’ve seen in years. Between embassy backlogs, the 75-country public charge ban, and the notorious post-interview waiting periods that have plagued Pakistani cases for a long time, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s break it all down so you know exactly what you’re dealing with and what your options are.
The Consular Processing Problem: Delays Were Already Bad
Even before 2026, Pakistani nationals applying for marriage-based green cards through consular processing were facing significant delays just to schedule an interview at the U.S. Embassy. The embassy in Pakistan has been overwhelmed for years, and the wait times to secure an interview appointment have been frustratingly long, often lasting a year or more just to get your foot in the Embassy door.
That backlog hasn’t improved. In fact, nothing about the consular processing situation in Pakistan has gotten better. If anything, it’s gotten harder.
So if you’re a U.S. citizen or green card holder petitioning for a Pakistani spouse, or a U.S. citizen petitioning for a Pakistani parent, you need to go in with realistic expectations. Getting an interview scheduled is going to take time and that’s just the beginning of the process.
The 75-Country Public Charge Ban: Adding Insult to Injury
On top of the existing delays, Pakistan is now included in a group of approximately 75 countries subject to an additional restriction under the public charge rule. This essentially means that after your family member gets through the interview process which itself can take a long time the government can apply a travel ban-type hold on the case under this policy.
As of April 2026, there are active lawsuits challenging this 75-country ban. The legal landscape is fluid, and things could change. But right now, there’s no definitive word on when or whether those challenges will succeed. We’re watching it closely, but you need to be prepared for the possibility that this restriction remains in place when your case reaches the interview stage.
What does this mean practically? After the interview, the consular officer may effectively put your case on hold pending review under the public charge ground. This adds yet another layer of delay on top of an already slow process.
Post-Interview Delays: The Pakistani Case Reality
Here’s something that even experienced immigration attorneys have had to set expectations around for Pakistani clients for years: even in a normal scenario no travel ban, no public charge issues Pakistani cases have historically faced extended post-interview processing times.
After the interview, it’s not uncommon for a case to sit for three months, six months, a full year, or even longer before final approval comes through. This isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been baked into the process for Pakistani nationals for a long time. Administrative processing, security checks, and additional scrutiny have historically affected Pakistani cases at a higher rate than many other nationalities.
Now, layer on the 75-country ban delay and the already-stretched interview scheduling times, and you’re looking at a situation where the total timeline from petition filing to green card approval could be very long potentially multiple years when you add everything up.
If you’re planning your life around this process, you need to factor in these delays and plan accordingly. Don’t assume that approval will come quickly after the interview. Build your timeline with a conservative estimate.
What About Adjustment of Status Inside the U.S.?
Here’s the good news: if you’re from Pakistan and you’re already in the United States on a valid visa, for example and you’re eligible to file for adjustment of status, the situation is significantly different.
Adjustment of status is the process where you apply for your green card from inside the U.S. rather than going through the embassy abroad. For Pakistani nationals doing adjustment of status, we have not been seeing the same problems that consular processing applicants face. The 75-country public charge ban, for instance, primarily impacts consular processing cases embassy interviews abroad. It’s not the same obstacle for adjustment of status applicants.
Many Pakistani nationals who are in the U.S. lawfully and married to U.S. citizens or green card holders have been successfully moving through the adjustment of status process. It’s not without its own timelines and steps, but it avoids the embassy bottleneck in Pakistan and the travel ban exposure that comes with consular processing.
If you’re in the U.S. and you’re eligible to adjust status, that may be a far more straightforward path than trying to process your case through the embassy in Pakistan right now.
A Summary of What Pakistani Applicants Are Facing
To put it plainly, here’s what the landscape looks like right now for Pakistani green card applicants:
- Consular processing involves extended waits just to schedule an interview, followed by potential public charge ban holds after the interview, followed by historically long post-interview processing times even in normal circumstances.
- The 75-country ban is being challenged in court, but offers no guaranteed relief right now. Be prepared for it to apply to your case.
- Adjustment of status in the U.S. remains a more viable path and has not been impacted by the same issues hitting consular cases.
If you or your family member is navigating this process, the single most important thing you can do right now is work with an experienced immigration attorney who knows the specific challenges Pakistani cases face not just the general green card process. The details matter enormously, and the difference between filing strategically and filing blindly can mean years of difference in your timeline.
Have Questions About Your Pakistani Green Card Case?
Download our free Ultimate Marriage Green Card Guide at MarriageImmigrationLaw.com, join Attorney John Khosravi live every Tuesday at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok for a free Q&A, or book a one-on-one consultation to talk through your specific situation.
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