The directive, published on the State Department’s official visa portal, aims to streamline processing amid global backlogs and heightened security concerns, but it has drawn criticism for potentially exacerbating delays for applicants worldwide, including Nigerians.

Under the updated guidelines, non-immigrant visa seekers—such as those applying for B-1/B-2 tourist, student (F/M), or work (H-1B) visas—must prove residency in the country where they file if basing their application on it. 

The policy explicitly prohibits “visa shopping,” ending the common practice of traveling to neighboring or third countries for quicker appointments. 

Fees for applications scheduled outside one’s home country are non-refundable and non-transferable, with such applicants facing steeper hurdles in approval and significantly longer wait times.

Special provisions apply to nationals from nations where the US does not conduct routine visa operations, including Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Yemen. 

These individuals must apply at designated posts—such as Islamabad for Afghans or Vilnius/Warsaw for Belarusians—unless residing elsewhere. 

Exceptions are limited to humanitarian or medical emergencies, foreign policy imperatives, or diplomatic/NATO/UN-related visas, and existing appointments remain unaffected.

The State Department emphasized the policy’s role in efficient adjudications, stating, “Nationals of countries where the U.S. government is not conducting routine nonimmigrant visa operations must apply at the designated embassy or consulate, unless their residence is elsewhere.” 

Officials further explained it as a measure to “streamline nonimmigrant visa adjudications while managing global backlogs and security considerations.”

For Nigerians and other Africans, the change disrupts long-standing strategies to bypass lengthy queues at home embassies. Previously, applicants often flew to countries like Cameroon, Namibia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Canada, or the Dominican Republic for faster slots, despite the risks. 

Now, they are confined to Abuja or Lagos, where wait times already stretch months or years due to high demand and limited consular capacity. 

Immigration consultant Mrs. Aisha Bello, based in Lagos, warned, “This will hit Nigerians hard. With our economy and visa backlogs, many who planned trips for education or business will be stuck, potentially losing opportunities.”