The United States has announced that routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa will cease from August 1, 2026, as part of a major restructuring of its overseas consular operations.
The US Department of State said the move is intended to centralise routine visa services in regional processing hubs to strengthen national security, reduce operational costs and ensure greater consistency in visa screening, vetting and adjudication.
In a statement published on its website and seen by PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the department said the reorganisation aligns with the administration of President Donald Trump’s policy of prioritising America’s interests and security.
“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 said.
The affected missions include the US Embassy in Abuja and diplomatic posts 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 clarified that the policy applies only to routine visa processing and does not affect the overall operations of the embassies and consulates.
It added that the affected diplomatic missions will continue to provide consular assistance and carry out their regular diplomatic responsibilities on behalf of the United States.
The department also assured travellers that visas already issued remain valid and are not affected by the new arrangement.
Under the policy, applicants in the affected countries will access routine visa services through designated regional processing hubs, while local US embassies and consulates continue to offer other consular and diplomatic services.
The United States said the restructuring is part of its periodic review of global diplomatic operations aimed at improving efficiency and optimising the deployment of consular resources.
