The United States has announced that it will end routine visa processing at its embassy in Abuja and 24 other diplomatic missions across Africa from August 1, 2026, as part of a major overhaul of its overseas consular operations.

The US Department of State said the reorganisation is designed to centralise routine visa services in regional processing hubs, strengthen national security, reduce government spending and improve consistency in visa screening, vetting and adjudication.

In a statement published on its website on Wednesday, the department said the restructuring aligns with President Donald Trump’s administration’s priority of putting America’s security and national interests first.

“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 changes apply only to routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing and do not affect the operational status of the embassies and consulates. The missions will continue to provide other consular and diplomatic services.

It also assured travellers that visas already issued remain valid and are not affected by the new policy.

The department noted that the United States regularly reviews its global diplomatic footprint to improve efficiency and better allocate resources.

Under the new arrangement, applicants from affected countries will be directed to designated regional visa processing hubs for routine visa services, while their local US embassies and consulates continue to offer other consular assistance.