VisaChiefPakistan migration: diaspora, destinations & visa routes
How many people leave Pakistan, where they go and on which visa categories - a cited snapshot for 2025-26, drawn from official statistics and international migration data. Prefer it visual? Explore Pakistan on the interactive migration map.
Pakistan - where they emigrate
A major labour exporter with a large, settled Western diaspora. ~6.3M Pakistanis are counted abroad (government estimates run to ~9-11M) and 0.7-0.9M workers register for overseas employment each year, overwhelmingly Gulf-bound on kafala permits, alongside deep-rooted UK and US communities. Remittances (~US$27B) fund ~8% of GDP.
Start your application ›Where they live
Where they go each year
The trend
Corridor facts
What visa categories they use
Corridor economics - volume, categories, cost, time
| Corridor | Volume | Primary / secondary categories | Govt cost | Time | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | ~453k/yr | Kafala employment visa (construction, drivers, services) Blue-collar dominant (>75% labourers/drivers) | $2,500-4,500 broker fee (worker-paid) | 1-3 months | Check options › |
| UAE | ~64k/yr | Employment permits (no PR path) Golden Visa for investors/professionals | $2,500-4,000, partly employer-paid | 3-8 weeks | Apply › |
| Oman | ~82k/yr | Kafala employment (construction, services) | $2,500-4,000 (worker-paid) | 1-3 months | Check options › |
| United Kingdom | ~12k/yr (est.) | Student route; family reunion (chain migration) Skilled Worker / Health & Care | £490-1,639 + IHS £1,035/yr | 3-8 weeks | Apply › |
| United States | ~9k/yr (est.) | Family green cards; DV lottery F-1 study; H-1B | $2-10k + attorney 2-6k | 1-8+ years | Apply › |
| Qatar | ~41k/yr | Kafala employment (services, construction) | $2,500-4,000 (worker-paid) | 1-3 months | Check options › |
Pakistan - who is arriving
Pakistan's inbound picture is defined by Afghan refugees, the legacy of four decades of conflict next door. Roughly 1.45M hold UNHCR Proof-of-Registration cards, with a further ~0.8M Afghan Citizen Card holders and large undocumented numbers pushing total Afghan presence toward 3M. Since 2023 Pakistan has pursued mass deportations. There is negligible economic in-migration.
Start your application ›Where they come from
Who arrives each year
Corridor facts
Frequently asked
How many people from Pakistan live abroad?
6.3M - Pakistanis abroad. Source: UN DESA 2020.
Where do most people migrate from Pakistan?
The top destinations are Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE.
What visas do Pakistan migrants use for the Saudi Arabia corridor?
Kafala employment visa (construction, drivers, services).
Key Pakistan migration corridors
Each corridor has its own key-facts page with volume, visa-category mix and the visa routes that apply.
See it on the map
Compare Pakistan against every other major source and destination country, trace the flow arcs and switch between inbound and outbound on the interactive world map.
Open the interactive migration map