The United States has announced changes to its visa operations in Africa, revealing that routine visa services at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions will be transferred to regional processing hubs from August 1, 2026
The US Department of State said the move is designed to improve national security, reduce government spending, and create a more consistent system for screening, vetting and processing visa applications.
In a statement, the department said the decision reflects President Donald Trump’s administration’s commitment to putting the interests of the United States and its citizens first by streamlining overseas operations.
The statement read:
“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.”
Besides Abuja, the affected diplomatic posts 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 changes will not affect the operational status of the embassies and consulates, which will continue carrying out their diplomatic and consular responsibilities on behalf of the United States.
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