Somalis directed to Nairobi by new U.S. Visa interview rules

[Deeq A.]

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalis seeking U.S. immigrant visas will now be required to travel to Nairobi for their interviews, under sweeping new rules announced by the U.S. Department of State that take effect on November 1, 2025.

The policy overhaul means that all applicants must attend their visa interviews at the U.S. consular post responsible for their country of residence, or — if they choose — in their country of nationality. For Somalia, which lacks a fully functioning U.S. embassy, Nairobi has been designated as the central processing hub.

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi will now handle immigrant visa interviews not only for Kenyans but also for applicants from Somalia and South Sudan. Eritrean applicants may be processed either in Nairobi or Addis Ababa, while Sudanese will be referred to Cairo. Syrians will need to travel to Amman, or in special cases, Beirut.

Globally, similar arrangements have been made: Afghans will be processed in Islamabad, Belarusians in Warsaw, Haitians in Nassau, Iranians in Abu Dhabi, Ankara, or Yerevan, Venezuelans in Bogotá, Yemenis in Djibouti, and Zimbabweans in Johannesburg.

The State Department said the changes are intended to standardize visa processing, ensuring clarity for applicants from countries without routine U.S. consular services. Previously, some could choose interview locations in third countries for convenience.

Humanitarian, medical, or foreign policy exceptions may still be considered. However, applicants must provide strong supporting documents to justify interviews outside the designated centers.

The new rules will not affect interviews already scheduled. The National Visa Center (NVC) will continue scheduling new appointments in line with the updated guidelines. Those wishing to transfer cases after scheduling will need to submit a Public Inquiry Form through the NVC.

The changes will also apply to Diversity Visa (green card lottery) applicants starting with the DV-2026 program year, meaning Somali winners will have to attend their interviews in Nairobi.

The State Department advised all applicants to monitor embassy and consulate websites for updates on visa requirements, services, and operating status, noting that this new guidance supersedes all previous instructions on immigrant visa interview arrangements.