Why Nigerians can no longer process routine US visas in Abuja — US govt

The United States government has explained why Nigerians will no longer be able to process routine visa applications at its embassy in Abuja from August 1, 2026.

According to the US government, the decision is part of a wider restructuring of visa operations across Africa aimed at strengthening security screening, improving efficiency and aligning visa processing with America’s national interests.

The change affects 25 US diplomatic missions across Africa, including the embassy in Abuja.

The US Department of State announced the development in a statement, saying the review of its diplomatic operations is ongoing and focuses on ensuring visa processing meets its security and vetting standards.

“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 statement said.

The department added that the administration of President Donald Trump remains committed to protecting Americans while ensuring consular services continue at diplomatic missions around the world.

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The affected embassies and consulates are located in 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.

Despite the change, the State Department said the affected diplomatic missions will remain open and continue providing other consular services. It also said visas already issued will remain valid.

The restructuring covers several immigrant visa categories, including immediate relative visas, family preference visas, employment-based visas, fiancé and fiancée visas, adoption cases, diversity visas, as well as follow-to-join asylee and refugee (V92/V93) applications.

The department said similar regional visa processing systems have already been introduced in parts of Africa and Europe.

Under the new arrangement, routine visa applications will be processed at designated hubs, including US missions 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.

These centres will handle both non-immigrant visas, such as tourist and business visas, and immigrant visa applications.

The State Department also said existing visa restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998, visa bond requirements and immigrant visa pauses affecting certain nationalities will remain in place.

Applicants from countries affected by the restructuring have been advised to book appointments and pay visa fees through the designated visa processing hubs from August 1.