The United States Department of State announced on May 18, 2026 that it has temporarily paused all visa services at U.S. Embassies in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda. The suspension affects all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa appointments, including tourist, student, work, and family-based visa applications at those posts.
Which Visa Categories Are Affected?
The pause covers all categories of visa services processed at the three affected embassies:
Nonimmigrant visas (B-1/B-2 tourist visas, F-1 student visas, H-1B and other work visas, J-1 exchange visitor visas) are suspended until further notice. Immigrant visas — including family-sponsored green cards processed through consular processing at those posts — are also paused. Diversity Visa (DV Lottery) interviews scheduled at these embassies will need to be rescheduled
or transferred to another post. Emergency and expedited appointment requests are subject to the same suspension unless the State Department creates specific humanitarian exceptions.
Why Were Visa Services Paused?
The State Department has not publicly detailed the specific reason for the suspension at each location. Diplomatic operations can be paused for several reasons, including security threats to embassy personnel, civil unrest or armed conflict in the host country, staffing shortages, or compliance issues under bilateral diplomatic agreements. South Sudan has experienced ongoing political instability and conflict since its independence in 2011. The DRC has active conflict zones in its eastern regions. Uganda’s suspension may be related to ongoing U.S.–Uganda diplomatic tensions, though no official explanation was released as of this writing.
What Should Applicants Do?
If you have a visa appointment scheduled at one of these three embassies, you should:
1. Check the embassy’s official website. The U.S. Embassy websites for Juba (South Sudan), Kinshasa (DRC), and Kampala (Uganda) will post the most current guidance on whether your specific appointment is cancelled and how to reschedule. 2. Do not travel to the embassy. Showing up for a suspended appointment will not result in a visa interview. 3. Request a third-country appointment. Applicants who are not citizens of the affected country may be eligible to apply for a U.S. visa at a U.S. Embassy in a third country. This is often possible but typically requires an appointment at the other location and proof that you can legally be present there. 4. Monitor State Department travel advisories. The State Department posts current travel advisories and visa service updates at travel.state.gov. 5. Contact your immigration attorney. If you are mid-process on an immigrant visa case
(family green card, employment-based), your attorney can advise on whether to request a National Visa Center (NVC) transfer
or to explore alternative options.
Immigrant Visa Cases: Consular Processing Impact
For applicants who are nationals of South Sudan, the DRC, or Uganda in the middle of a consular processing case, the suspension creates a significant complication. If your priority date is current and you were awaiting an interview date, the suspension means your case will be delayed until services resume. The National Visa Center typically holds cases until an interview can be scheduled — meaning cases should not be negatively affected in terms of their place in line, but the timeline will extend.
Applicants from these countries who are currently in the United States on a valid visa may want to consider whether Adjustment of Status (Form I-485, filed domestically with USCIS) is an available option — which would bypass the need for consular processing entirely.
TPS Holders from These Countries
Nationals of the DRC and South Sudan who currently hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the United States are not directly affected by the consular visa pause — TPS is managed domestically by USCIS and does not require embassy involvement for renewals. However, TPS holders who had planned to travel internationally and re-enter on Advance Parole should be aware that traveling to or through countries with unstable diplomatic relations can create complications at reentry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the visa pause permanent? No. The State Department described the suspension as temporary. However, no timeline for resumption has been announced. Past suspensions of this type have lasted anywhere from a few days to several months.
Can I reschedule at another U.S. Embassy? Yes, in most cases. Third-country visa appointments are generally available if you can be legally present in the third country. Contact the destination embassy for guidance.
Does this affect U.S. citizens traveling to these countries? The visa pause does not affect U.S. citizens. However, check travel.state.gov for travel advisories before visiting South Sudan, the DRC, or Uganda.
My DV Lottery interview was scheduled at one of these embassies — what do I do? Contact the National Visa Center (NVC) immediately to request an embassy transfer. DV cases have a hard September 30 deadline, so act quickly.
Related Immigration Guides
Learn more about the visa and green card process: Consular Processing Complete Guide 2026 | TPS Complete Guide 2026 | Adjustment of Status (I-485) Guide
