US Immigrant Visas for Pakistan: What the data says — and why today’s suspension matters

Reports today suggest that immigrant visa processing has been suspended in around 75 countries, including Pakistan.
Whatever the duration or scope, the timing is important — because 2024 was a breakout year for Pakistani immigrant visas.

Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics has built a dashboard on US Visas across the globe using data publicly released on State Department website. It can be accessed here :

https://lnkd.in/d3ZCPHV2

📊 Gallup Pakistan Digital Analytics | US State Department visa data
➡️ Immigrant visas issued to Pakistanis
• 2023: 16,320
• 2024: 37,266 (more than double)
• 2025 (to date): ~10,883
2024 was not just higher — it was structurally different:
• Family-sponsored: 42,661
• Immediate relatives: 40,321
• Employment-based: only 3,136

👉 Pakistan’s immigration to the US is overwhelmingly family-driven, not job-driven.

This means any processing disruption doesn’t just affect applicants — it affects families waiting for reunification, elderly parents, spouses, and children.