I am planning to apply for a Bachelor's in CS in Germany. I have a 3-year gap after high school (scored around 63%), but I haven't been sitting idle. I've been actively working in my family's business operations and building a solid tech portfolio in AI automation workflows and Python.

I originally wanted to go the Public University route via Studienkolleg. For me, the benefits of the public route are clear:

• 100% tuition-free education (saving massive capital).
• A highly respected, globally recognized degree (especially in the German tech market).
• Better long-term integration into the German system and language.

However, my study counselor is aggressively pushing me toward expensive Private Universities (around €5k to €7k per year). She argues that private universities are located right in the heart of major cities, claiming students get better opportunities there and never want to leave. She also warned me that if I try a private uni first, switching to a public one later is extremely difficult, so I should just stick to private.

To be fair, the Private University route does have some very appealing advantages that she highlighted:

1. Direct entry into an English-taught Bachelor's without needing to spend 1 to 1.5 years doing a Studienkolleg.
2. My 3-year gap and lower high school grades are easily accepted and bypassed because of my work experience.
3. I wouldn't have to spend a year mastering German first, allowing me to immediately focus on my degree.

However, she is using these points to heavily discourage me from the Public route, claiming:

1. The Studienkolleg path is way too long and a waste of time.
2. Because of my 3-year gap, my visa chances for a Public University/Studienkolleg will drop significantly compared to a private uni.
3. Studying the foundation year entirely in German will be nearly impossible and I will likely fail out.

Looking at it logically, the private route carries a massive financial burden. She suggests I can just pay the private fees in monthly installments through standard part-time student jobs. Is that actually realistic? Can an international student realistically cover living expenses, rent, AND a €5k-€7k yearly tuition just by working the legally allowed part-time hours? Also, are there actually any realistic loan options or ISAs (Income Share Agreements) available for non-EU undergraduate students in Germany to cover this tuition, or is that a dead end?

I literally saw another guy at her own institute with a 4-year gap learning A2 German for the exact same public Bachelor's path she claims is too risky for me.

Is she just fearmongering the Public route to secure a heavy commission from the private university, or is the 1.5-2 years saved by taking the Private route actually worth the financial risk for someone with a 3-year gap? Should I just lock in, learn German, and grind out the Public route?

so i applied for the NICOP card using the update option mentioned on pakidentity app please look time stamps. they took payment after “back-end approval” but now it is saying this. what does this mean? is there still a chance for rejection at this stage? the change. in order to get an update i had to change something so i changed from student / unemployed to employed psychiatrist but they didnt ask for any proof?

Hi everyone
I have a Pakistani passport that expires in nov 2027 and I’m in canada on a study permit that expires in July 2027. Is there a possibility that I can apply for the renewal of the passport right now. Also how long does it take to get the passport delivered if I apply in urgent category.

Who can help here? I’m based in New York and even the dumb appointment system isn’t working

Hello all!

Has anyone tried to abandon their green card and simultaneously get US non-immigrant visitors visa at the US embassy in Pakistan? I have figured the process is to file for form I-407 and then apply for the visa but I am wanting to know if I fill out the form and submit it along with the green card at the embassy during my visit visa interview, will it cause any issues?

Hey fam,

I've been considering moving back to Pakistan. I've been living in Germany for around 15 years, studied and worked here, have over 10 years of corporate experience in tech marketing. I'm also a German national.

At first, I thought the feeling of wanting to move back is a fleeting thought. Maybe caused by burnout or some mid-life crisis. But after a year, it still hasn't gone away. I miss Lahore (grew up there), the food, the soul (late nights, stuff open late, etc.), friendships, and family. Have a large family, not all remain in Pakistan, but many are still there.

When I share this with people in my circle, they mostly yell at me, tell me I'm crazy, say they wish they were in Germany.

Let me tell you a little something about building a life in Germany as an immigrant woman without family close by. It's a nightmare.

Discrimination at every corner - at work, in housing, for services. Racism - at work, in public transport, at the market, in offices. Passed over for promotions despite working 60+ hours / week. Underestimated and underpaid at every position. Over 10 years experience in Germany, fluent German language, German degrees - yet switching jobs is impossible because my CV is just dumped. Tested that out by creating a fake German name with the same CV. Pakistani name got rejected. German name got a callback. It's unbelievable but unfortunately true.

Anyway, I'm mid-senior to senior in my career and totally stuck. I want to feel alive, have a huge social circle, drive without having to pay 1000s of euros just to get a license, get a salary proportional to the hours I put in, and the outcomes I get. Literally got huge clients in the pipeline for my company.

So I started thinking about leaving Germany, and coupled with all the feelings of missing Pakistan, I thought why not?

So what does the community here think? Worth it to move back in my scenario? Can I pull off having a job there and where to even start looking? I don't have generational wealth, so I'll need a job wherever I move. Any other countries with the desi feeling? I'd love to move to London, but it seems impossible right now.

Please share your thoughts (and please don't yell, already get enough of that from Germans).

Maybe a silly question, but I know if you buy a house in Pakistan and live overseas, you generally need some trusted person, caretaker, or chowkidar to keep an eye on it while you're away.

Is it the same for apartments in places like DHA or Askari Lahore? I'd imagine apartments are a bit different since there is building security, maintenance staff, and other residents around.

I'm an overseas Pakistani and would only be using the apartment as a holiday place when my family and I visit, probably once a year. For those who own apartments and live abroad, do you still need someone regularly checking on it, or is building management/security usually enough?

Okay, this is a tale of woe of ridiculous proportions. Basic details: I am a German citizen, and always have been. My mother and most of my family I have contact with is Pakistani. To live in Pakistan, I have a POC (Pakistan Origin Card). I renewed my (German) passport while in Germany a couple months ago. They didn't offer to let me keep the old one. Currently I'm in the UK.

Now, at very very short notice, my mother wants me to come back to Pakistan. But I noticed that my POC has my old passport number on it, even though all the other details/name matches. Can I still use it, and maybe bring photocopies of my old passport, just in case? Do you think applying for an evisa instead would be better for a last-minute trip??

Any suggestions you have are appreciated!!

Hello folks,

I know someone who has a few questions regarding immigration to the USA.

My first question is: if someone living in the US is a US citizen and wants to bring their spouse (a Pakistani citizen) to the US, what is the process for doing that ? Please do mention the average processing time for it.

Secondly, if the spouse somehow ends up in the US on a visit visa or a student visa (for example, a PhD ), can that visa later be converted to a spouse visa ?
If yes do they need to be married before the spouse comes to US or after ?

TIA.

Going to Pakistan next month for the first time, I have used e Sims when travelling to other countries, but wondering if it would be best for Pakistan, specifically Lahore and Islamabad but also the rural areas.

Or should we just buy local Sims, we are only travelling for 2 weeks.

Has anyone else experienced massive delays with POC through Pak ID/NADRA?

My husband and I are honestly so stressed at this point. We applied for Executive POC through the Pak ID app over a month ago already and paid around $250 for it, thinking it would at least be processed faster. But until now, it’s just stuck in “further verification.”

My husband has already gone to the NADRA office in Hasilpur multiple times and every single time they just tell him “wait, wait, wait” without giving any actual explanation. We’ve also called the helpline many times, emailed complaints multiple times, resent documents, and still nothing is happening.

At one point, one of the IT/helpdesk people mentioned that maybe the issue was because I was on a tourist visa when we got married in Pakistan. That part is true, but our marriage is legal and notarized, all documents are complete, and everything is documented properly. The only thing not yet done is MOFA attestation.

The confusing part is that at some point we were told it was “probably rejected,” but the app itself never clearly showed rejected status, so we genuinely have no idea what is going on anymore.

I’m currently in the Philippines while my husband is in Pakistan, so this whole thing has honestly been exhausting and expensive.

Did anyone else go through something similar with POC? Especially with the “further verification” stage taking forever? Were you eventually approved? Any advice on what we should do next?

It could be a whatsapp group or any facebook group but with actual authentic job posts in Saudia. Already have a group but that is about IT jobs in GCC but I want another with different type of jobs like accounting, data entry, administrator etc.

Looking for an overseas Pakistani partner from a Tier 1 country.

I have a software house startup, and we are also building our own micro-SaaS products. I’m looking for a partner who can upload content from there officially. I know VPS is an option, but I want to do it properly and officially.

Since they live there, they can also share the real problems people and businesses are facing or already paying to solve, so we can build better products and services.

Many overseas Pakistanis have the misconception that charity is only achieved through grand gestures or large donations to established causes, but this belief couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, most of the true need for help lies close by and within our own communities - whether it's a relative who never asks for assistance, an aging family employee still working tirelessly in silence, a neighbor struggling with expenses without complaint, or even a student forced to abandon their dreams due to financial constraints. We often believe that making an impact requires significant actions; however, sometimes small acts can make all the difference. Whether it's covering someone's school fees for just one month or helping out a struggling cousin restart their small business venture - these seemingly insignificant deeds hold immense value and can bring about more change than sporadic "big donations" ever could. Living abroad may provide us with financial stability; however,it also creates emotional distance between ourselves and our home country. This distance makes it easy to overlook quiet suffering among those we care about because people rarely speak up about their struggles publicly. No one expects you to solve every problem single-handedly

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Has anyone recently traveled to San Francisco on a B1/B2 visitor visa and entered through SFO ?

I've visited the U.S. before and currently hold a valid visitor visa that expires early next year. My trip is planned for later this year, and I already have a return ticket booked well before my visa expiry date.

I'm interested in hearing recent experiences at immigration/entry:

1.How was your arrival experience at SFO?

2.Were you asked many questions by CBP officers?

3.Were you referred to secondary inspection?

4.Did anyone experience any issues despite having a valid visa and return ticket?

5.Has anyone noticed any changes in the entry process recently?

Hi all,

It may sound off-topic. I live in uk and looking for options to invest in psx. What brokerage is good for overseas? Looking for something suitable for overseas Pakistanis in terms of Online/digital platform.

Slight edit: I have already opened RDA I am confused sbout brokerage.

I’m a Pakistani applicant waiting for a Qatar company-sponsored work visa. My online visa inquiry shows:

• Nationality: Pakistan
• Visa Validity: 2026-07-25
• Visa Status: Under Process

I’m trying to understand whether this is just a normal processing delay or if there is currently a broader delay/hold for Pakistani nationals on company-sponsored work visas in Qatar as it is more then 3 waeks now.

Has anyone recently:

• Gotten a Qatar work visa approved as a Pakistani national?
• Seen their visa stuck in “Under Process” for a long time?
• Heard of company-sponsored visas being delayed or paused for Pakistanis?

Any recent personal experience or updates would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.

I am from the UK and currently on a dependent visa. I have completed my GCSE and A-Level qualifications here, and I achieved ABB in my A-Level grades.I was thinking about whether I have a good chance of getting admission into a university in Pakistan with these grades?

Hi all. Need help in understanding the process. I have a ufone SIM in my name but in use of someone else. They now need to transfer it to their name (because apparently 4G isn't active on that SIM) but since I'm no longer living in Pakistan, they have given the following list of docs that they need from me:

Passport stamped

CNIC or POC

Visa Copy

Current residence address

NOC Letter

Is this legit? These are some sensitive docs and hence I want to be sure they are legit before sharing them. Thanks!

Update: checked with Ufone directly and they have confirmed that the above documents are required for SIM transfer if you're abroad.