USA SIM card for Pakistanis — a prepaid SIM, Jazz roaming, or an eSIM: what suits a long family visit

Three ways to get online in America

Most Pakistanis who fly to America are visiting family, often for weeks or months. So the question is not just the first day — it is the whole visit.

A US prepaid SIM — when it makes sense

Prepaid SIMs are easy to buy in America — in big stores and carrier shops, or online. But keep in mind:

• A monthly plan usually starts above $25, with tax on top.
• The phone must be unlocked, and a local SIM means removing your Pakistani one in a single-slot phone — after which bank OTPs stop arriving.
• You have to remember to recharge every month, or the number and data stop.

The upside is a US phone number — essential if you are settling there, or for work and appointments. If you are moving to America, a local plan is the right answer.

Jazz roaming — what it costs in America

Jazz's international roaming bundle covers America: 1 GB for 7 days at Rs. 3,585; 3 GB for 30 days at Rs. 7,767.50; and 5 GB for 90 days at Rs. 10,157.50 (all including tax).

By comparison, our USA 1 GB for 7 days is Rs. 490 and 3 GB for 30 days is Rs. 1,290. And leaving mobile data on while roaming without a bundle is the most expensive mistake there is.

Holafly sells only unlimited plans for America, on AT&T and T-Mobile: $27.50 for 7 days (about Rs. 7,650) and $73.90 for 30 days (about Rs. 20,550), paid in dollars by card. For a six-month visit our 50 GB is Rs. 18,990 — less than one month of Holafly.

• Jazz — data roaming bundles
• Holafly — USA eSIM plans

A long visit — planning for six months

When you enter America on a B1/B2 visitor visa, your permitted stay is written on your I-94 record, which you can look up on CBP's website. For family visits it is commonly six months.

That is what our 50 GB, 180-day Long Stay Pack (Rs. 18,990) is for — one eSIM for the whole visit, with no recharge in the middle. For a shorter visit, a 5 or 10 GB 30-day plan is enough.

The house will have Wi-Fi, but a doctor's appointment, the mosque, groceries and days out need your own data — not the grandchildren's hotspot every time.

• CBP — look up your I-94 record

An eSIM — ready before you leave Pakistan

An eSIM installs at home and works on Verizon or AT&T the moment you land in America, up to 5G. Its data reaches the internet from inside the US, so Uber and Google Maps treat you as being in America.

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked (JV).
2. Buy the USA eSIM — the QR arrives on WhatsApp and by email.
3. Scan the QR and install it at home. Validity starts when it first connects to a network in America.
4. Turn off data roaming on your Pakistani line so there is no roaming bill.
5. When you land, switch mobile data to the USA line and open Uber or Lyft.

• How to install an eSIM, step by step

The time difference — when to call home

New York is 9 or 10 hours behind Pakistan; Houston and Chicago are 10 or 11. Nine at night in America is six or seven in the morning in Pakistan — so video calls home tend to happen early in the morning or late at night.

WhatsApp and FaceTime work normally in America. An hour of video calling uses roughly 300 to 700 MB — if you call every day, size the plan for it.

How much data — and what it costs

• A week-long trip: 1 to 3 GB (Rs. 1,290 for 3 GB).
• A two to three week family visit: 5 GB (Rs. 1,890) — what most people choose.
• Daily video calls and plenty of outings: 10 GB (Rs. 3,390).
• A visit of three to six months: 50 GB for 180 days (Rs. 18,990).

• USA eSIM — plans and full details

What is the cheapest internet for a visit to America?

For a visit, an eSIM — 3 GB for 30 days at Rs. 1,290 and 5 GB at Rs. 1,890. Jazz roaming is Rs. 7,767.50 for 3 GB over 30 days, and US prepaid plans usually start above $25.

What should I take for a six-month family visit?

The 50 GB Long Stay Pack, which lasts 180 days (Rs. 18,990). Your I-94 period is set by the CBP officer at entry — commonly up to six months for a family visit.

Which network does this eSIM use in America?

Verizon and AT&T — two of America's biggest networks, up to 5G. The phone picks whichever signal is stronger.

Do WhatsApp calls work in America?

Yes, WhatsApp and FaceTime voice and video calls work normally in America. This is a data-only eSIM, so calls go through those apps.

Will my Pakistani number keep working?

With an eSIM, yes — it is a second line and your Pakistani SIM stays in the phone, so bank OTPs and texts from home keep arriving. Keep data roaming off on the Pakistani line.