Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
A decade ago there where many more opportunities to spouses for employment in NGOs and international projects. Nowadays, it is something considerably more difficult. - Oct 2023
Spouses can only come to Pakistan if they have secured EFM jobs. I know there are plenty of EFM jobs in Islamabad and some in Karachi. I do not believe EFMs can accompany officers assigned to Peshawar (unless the officer’s position is resident in Islamabad) or Lahore. - Jun 2022
EFMs can only come to post if employed at the Embassy. - Feb 2019
EFM's at the U.S. embassy cannot come unless they have a job at the mission. There are some really interesting and substantive EFM jobs; more than I have seen at many posts. However, it was taking an incredibly long time for DS to process security clearances and if the EFM will be in their position less than 10 months, they aren't allowed to come. Unfortunately this meant that some people had unexpectedly unaccompanied tours. The time limit is less of a concern if you are coming for two years.
Can't really speak to options for expat spouses outside of the US mission. - Sep 2016
Not much, unless you're a free-lance journalist/photographer who could work for a newspaper abroad. NGOs may also hire expats, but you normally must apply before coming to Pakistan. - Sep 2015
Nope. Spouses are required to work at the embassy in order to live in Pakistan. Only menial jobs are available, and while your talent is being wasted you will be told over and over again that you should be grateful to even have a job. Interesting duties are unionized by FSOs. Supervisors are not interested in professional development of EFMs. The couple of decent jobs at the embassy are held for people whose spouse will threaten to curtail if they are not given their choice. So good jobs are given to people who have no more to offer than empty threats. The competant spouses refuse to take another job with an embassy after this post. They further disenfranchise EFMs by having HR collect their time and attendance instead of including them in the section where they work. - Aug 2015
As a spouse of a U.S. Embassy employee, I am only allowed to work on the Embassy. And the spouses here call themselves "the sub-humans" because of the way we are treated by management. The attitude seems to be "We let you come here with your spouse. What else do you want?" - Apr 2014
I don't think so but don't know much about that specific job market. - Feb 2014
Many international organizations. - Dec 2013
Yep, all sorts of international organizations are running around trying to "help" Pakistan. - Mar 2012
Not in the local economy per se, but with NGOs there are. - Jan 2010
No. - Oct 2009
No. - Oct 2008
