Admin
by Emmanuel Garjiek
Juba, August 11, 2026 — The United States has discontinued routine visa services at its embassy in Juba, redirecting South Sudanese applicants to regional centers.
Effective August 1, 2026, nonimmigrant visa applications — including tourism, business, and student visas — must now be processed through the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda. Applicants will need to schedule appointments and pay fees there, adding travel and accommodation costs to the process.
For immigrant visas, South Sudanese citizens will continue applying through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to the U.S. Department of State, this restructuring is part of a broader overhaul of visa operations across Africa. The changes aim to enhance security screening, standardize adjudication procedures, and improve overall efficiency.
The policy is not unique to South Sudan; similar adjustments are being implemented in countries including Eritrea, Nigeria, Mali, The Gambia, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
Regional visa hubs, the department noted, have been used before in both Africa and Europe to align staffing and operational capacity with U.S. policy priorities.
The move comes amid the Trump administration’s review of overseas government operations, with a stated focus on national security and efficiency.
