USC need visa for Pakistan if married to Pakistan citizen (split topic)

[pm5k 129]

Old thread, but posting here for future reference in case anyone else is in a similar situation.

 

I am a USC whose wife is from Pakistan.  I have travelled many times to Pakistan and am aware of the confusion that arises when it comes to visas, NICOP, POC, etc. 

 

There are a few ways to travel to Pakistan as a USC, as mentioned above.  

 

1. USC gets a visa, and travels to Pakistan on that.  Lengths for visa vary, can be single, dual, or multiple entry.  The USC spouse will need to provide a copy of the nikah nama when applying for the visa.  Copies of the Pakistani spouse's passport and national ID card are also very helpful to establish that the person in Pakistan indeed is a real person.  If your spouse does not provide marriage certificate/nikah nama, then he/she will probably only get a single entry visa with limited date ranges, so it is best to provide more information if possible.  Cost $192 as of this post's date.  Probably the simplest option in terms of paperwork.  

 

2. USC gets a NICOP card (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis), which grants visa-free entry into Pakistan as long as the card is valid (10 yrs).  Note, your USC spouse would be considered a full citizen of Pakistan if they obtain a NICOP card, so please look into any other ramifications that may result from this (some jobs have issues with dual citizenship, for example).  Also, because this card is a proof of Pakistani citizenship, it may require more documents and hence more scrutiny (depending on whether or not your spouse is of Pakistani origin).  Cost $115 approx. as of this post's date.

 

3. USC gets a POC card (Pakistan Origin Card).  This is similar to the NICOP card as it grants visa-free entry as long as the card is valid (10yrs).  The difference however is that the POC card is for non-citizens.  This would be the ideal card unless your spouse wants to have Pakistani nationality (NICOP).  Unfortunately, the government of Pakistan has recently suspended processing of POC cards on the basis of spouse, so this would not be an option for most people.  

 

EXCEPTION - If your USC spouse is of Pakistani origin (such as parents being from Pakistan, etc), he/she can get a POC card based on their Pakistani origin and not the spouse's.  Cost $115 approx. as of this post's date.  

 

Summary:

USC can get a visa with proof of connection to Pakistani spouse. (nikah nama, identity documents, etc)

If the USC spouse is of Pakistani origin, they can get a NICOP card or POC card.  

NICOP = dual nationality, POC = not dual nationality (US only)

Not sure if non-pakistan origin spouses are eligible for NICOP, but if so, it most likely will require lots of paperwork.

 

Hope this helps.  Feel free to PM me if there are any other questions.

Edited May 29, 2017 by pm5k