US Shifts Visa Processing for 25 African Countries in 2026

The US Department of State announced that starting August 1, 2026, routine visa services at 25 of its missions across Africa will be redirected to a network of regional processing hubs. This restructuring does not involve the closure or downsizing of any embassy or consulate, as all 25 locations will continue to operate normally in other capacities.

The affected missions include cities such as Antananarivo, Abuja, Asmara, Bamako, and others. Twenty missions have been designated as regional visa hubs to handle the rerouted applications.

Notably, Nigerian applicants will be impacted as the Abuja mission will no longer independently handle routine visa services, transferring that responsibility to Lagos, which has been designated as a regional hub. The announcement did not clarify which specific routine services would be moved or if emergency and non-immigrant visa categories would be treated differently.