Pakistan Visa Market: A Booming Business for Foreigners

Islamabad: Pakistan has increasingly become a lucrative destination for foreigners, with Afghan nationals leading the charge. Over the past few years, Afghan citizens have been willing to pay hefty sums, often reaching millions of rupees, to secure a Pakistani visa for various reasons, including business, education, and healthcare.
Following the Taliban’s return to power, security concerns have led Pakistan to deport over 4,100 individuals, comprising 845 families, back to Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s rise to power, more than two hundred thousand Afghan citizens have obtained Pakistani visas.
The demand for visas has surged, as many Afghan nationals look to Pakistan for better opportunities in education, health, and business, and due to the shared language, culture, and environment. The ongoing restrictions imposed by the Taliban on several sectors have further driven the need for people to seek refuge and opportunities in Pakistan.
Many Afghan citizens have turned to visa brokers to obtain a Pakistani visa, as standard applications often face repeated rejections. According to one Afghan national, visa brokers charge between $1200 and $1500 to secure a visa, bypassing the challenges of direct application rejection.
Afghan refugees have been coming to Pakistan since the 1980s when the Soviet Union’s invasion led to a significant security crisis in Afghanistan. Estimates suggest that around 2.5 million Afghan nationals currently reside in Pakistan. Many of these individuals have relied on Pakistan as a transit point to other countries, further adding to the demand for visas.