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Nigerian residents and citizens seeking United States (US) visas must now schedule appointments and pay the required fees at the Consulate General in Lagos following the suspension of routine visa services at the US embassy in Abuja.
The change took effect on Saturday, August 1, as part of a broader restructuring of US visa operations across Africa.
In a statement issued on Friday, the US Embassy said the Department of State was realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs to improve visa processing efficiency.
“The U.S. Department of State is realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs as part of a long-standing practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improving efficiency and adjusting to shifting U.S. immigration policy priorities and objectives,” the statement read.
Under the new arrangement, several US embassies and consulates across Africa will no longer provide routine visa services.
For Nigeria, this means all routine non-immigrant and immigrant visa applicants must now process their applications through the US Consulate General in Lagos.
“Citizens and residents of Nigeria who wish to apply for a U.S. visa must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at U.S. Consulate Lagos, the new designated location,” the statement added.
The announcement marks a significant operational shift for visa applicants, many of whom previously used the US Embassy in Abuja for routine visa interviews and related services.
Going forward, applicants from across the country will be required to book appointments in Lagos unless the US government announces exceptions for specific categories of visas or consular services.
According to the embassy, the objective is to centralise visa processing in regional hubs, standardise screening and adjudication procedures, and align visa operations with evolving US immigration priorities.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest sources of US visa applications, with thousands of Nigerians travelling annually to the United States for education, business, tourism, family visits and permanent immigration.
The transfer of all routine visa processing to Lagos is expected to affect applicants nationwide, particularly those based in northern and central Nigeria who previously relied on the embassy in Abuja for visa interviews.
The U.S. Department of State is realigning visa operations in Africa to regional hubs as part of a long-standing practice that strengthens national security by promoting more uniform screening, vetting, and adjudication standards, as well as improving efficiency and adjusting to… pic.twitter.com/SFwNOtBwBA
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) July 31, 2026
