President Trump is putting America and Americans first by strengthening national security, cutting government waste, and ensuring government works in the interests of the American people.  The Department of State is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to advance America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.  This includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America's national interests.  The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans, and the State Department will continue to provide Americans with appropriate consular services and assistance at diplomatic posts around the world.

The U.S. Department of State is realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs, part of a long-standing Department practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improves efficiency.  Realigning visa services to designated hubs has already been successful with several African nations, and in Europe as well.     

Effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will realign routine visa services in Antananarivo, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek to a regional visa hub.  Citizens and residents of these countries who wish to apply for a visa on or after August 1, 2026, must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at the appropriate designated Nonimmigrant Visa Locations or designated Immigrant Visa Locations.

Visa suspensions designated by Presidential Proclamation 10998, visa bond requirements and immigrant visa pauses for certain nationalities remain in place.   

FAQs –  Realignment of U.S. Visa Services in Africa to Regional Hubs

Q:  Is the State Department closing embassies or consulates as part of these changes? 

The realignment of routine visa processing does not change the operating status of any of the embassies and consulates or the important work they continue to conduct on behalf of the American people. 

Q: Which posts will serve as regional visa hubs? 

Routine visa services will be provided at the U.S. embassies and consulates in Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-Es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.

Q: Which posts will provide American Citizen Services (ACS) and limited NIV services? Antananarivo, Asmara, Bamako, Bangui (emergency ACS only), Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, Windhoek.  There are no consular operations in Bangui and Khartoum. 

Q: What type of visa services are being realigned?

All routine visas services, for both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, including tourist and business-related nonimmigrant visas, as well as petition-based nonimmigrant visas.  Immigrant visa services being realigned are the immediate relative (IR), family preference (FP), and employment based (EB) categories, as well as fiancée/fiancé (K) visas, Adoptions, Diversity Visas, and follow-to-join asylee and refugee (V92/V93) cases.

Q:What should I do if I have an appointment scheduled at a post where routine visa services are being discontinued?

Please check your email.  We will send specific guidance for visa applicants in each country affected by the realignment.

Q: If I have paid the MRV fee at a post with limited NIV services from August 1, but do not schedule an appointment by July 31, will my fee be refunded?

No. By July 31, you should schedule an appointment at the post where you paid the fee.

Q: Does this affect my current valid visa?
No.  This does not affect any currently valid visas.

Q: Where will applicants conduct their IV medical exams?

Applicants can complete their medical exam in their home country if a panel physician exists there, or they can complete the exam at their designated hub.