THE United States has announced that routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa will end from August 1, 2026, as part of a broad restructuring of its overseas consular operations.
News Point Nigeria reports that the US Department of State said the move is designed to centralise routine visa services in regional processing hubs to strengthen national security, reduce government spending, and ensure greater consistency in visa screening, vetting and adjudication.
In a statement published on the US Department of State’s website and sighted by News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, the department said the reorganisation aligns with President Donald Trump’s administration’s priority of placing America’s interests and security first.
“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 statement read.
Apart from Abuja, the affected diplomatic missions are located in 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.
The State Department, however, clarified that the policy affects only routine visa processing and does not alter the operational status of the embassies and consulates concerned.
It stressed that all the affected diplomatic missions will continue to provide consular services and carry out their regular diplomatic responsibilities on behalf of the United States.
The department also assured travellers that the new policy does not invalidate visas that have already been issued.
According to the State Department, the United States periodically reviews its global diplomatic operations to reallocate resources and streamline consular services in line with evolving operational priorities.
Under the new arrangement, visa applicants in countries affected by the policy will be expected to access routine visa services through designated regional processing hubs, while US embassies and consulates will continue to provide other diplomatic and consular assistance.
