The United States has shifted routine visa services for South Sudan to regional processing centres, meaning applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas will now have to travel to Uganda to complete the process.
The change took effect on Aug. 1, 2026, as part of a broader restructuring of U.S. visa operations across Africa, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Under the new arrangement, citizens and residents of South Sudan applying for nonimmigrant visas, including for tourism, business or study, must schedule appointments and pay the required visa fees at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda.
Immigrant visa applicants from South Sudan will continue to apply through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.
The U.S. Embassy in Juba will no longer provide routine visa services.
The State Department said the restructuring was aimed at strengthening security screening and vetting, standardising visa adjudication and improving the efficiency of consular operations.
It is part of a wider realignment affecting U.S. visa services in several African countries, including Eritrea, Nigeria, Mali, The Gambia, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The department said regional visa hubs had previously been used in Africa and Europe and were intended to align staffing and operational capacity with U.S. policy priorities.
For South Sudanese applicants, the change means those seeking nonimmigrant U.S. visas will need to make arrangements to travel to Kampala for their appointments, potentially adding travel and accommodation costs to the application process.
The move comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump reviews overseas government operations and seeks to prioritise national security and efficiency, the State Department said.
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