If you're applying for a U.S. visa from Africa, the embassy or consulate you were planning to use may no longer process it. As of August 1, 2026, the State Department shut down routine visa services at 25 diplomatic posts across the continent and folded them into just 20 regional hubs — meaning millions of applicants now have to travel internationally, sometimes crossing a border, just to sit for a visa interview. This is the complete, practical breakdown: what changed, exact