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Lastest News Nigeria, Politics, Business, Sport, Interview
The United States will end routine US visa services in Abuja from August 1, 2026, as part of a wider restructuring across Africa.
The US Department of State said the decision is part of a regional realignment designed to strengthen national security, reduce government waste and ensure more consistent standards for visa screening, vetting and adjudication. According to the department, the Trump administration is restructuring overseas operations to better align with America’s national interests while maintaining high security standards.
The statement stressed that protecting Americans remains the administration’s top priority and assured that consular services for US citizens would continue at diplomatic missions around the world.
Besides Abuja, the policy affects visa services in 24 other African diplomatic cities, including 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 department clarified that the realignment does not affect the operational status of any US embassies or consulates, nor does it invalidate any existing US visas. It also noted that the regional hub model has already been successfully implemented in several African countries and parts of Europe.
Routine US visa services in Abuja will instead be handled through designated regional hubs. In Africa, visa processing will continue at US embassies and consulates in Lagos, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar-es-Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
The move marks a significant shift in how the United States delivers US visa services in Abuja and other affected locations while maintaining its broader diplomatic presence across the continent.
What impact do you think this change will have on Nigerians applying for US visas?
