The U.S. government says routine visa services in Abuja and 24 other African cities will end on August 1.
“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,” the agency stated.
It noted that citizens and residents of the affected 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 non-immigrant visa locations or designated immigrant visa locations.
From August 1, Nigerians who want to process a U.S. visa would have to travel to the U.S. consulate in Lagos.
According to a statement on July 23 by the agency, the move 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”.
Last June, reports had it that Abuja was missing from President Donald Trump administration’s shortlist of 20 African cities where foreigners seeking to travel to the U.S. can process visa applications.
The U.S. currently has around 50 embassies and consulates across Africa that process visa applications, but the new move by the State Department will slash that number to 20 amid Mr Trump’s crackdown on immigration.