US introduces new rules on immigrant Visa interviews effective November 1, 2025 - Nairobi Embassy elevated!

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 - The United States’ Department of State has announced new rules on the conduct of immigrant visa interviews, set to take effect on November 1^st, 2025.

Under the revised policy, applicants will now be required to attend interviews at the consular post covering their place of residence or, upon request, in their country of nationality.

This marks a departure from the previous system, where some applicants could seek interviews in third countries for convenience.

The National Visa Center (NVC) will immediately begin scheduling interviews in line with the new directive.

For Kenyans, interviews will continue at the U.S Embassy in Nairobi.

However, the changes carry wider implications for applicants from neighboring countries without fully functioning U.S consulates.

The State Department designated Nairobi as the processing center for applicants from Somalia and South Sudan, while Eritreans may be directed to Nairobi or Addis Ababa.

Sudanese applicants will be processed in Cairo, and Syrians in Amman or Beirut.

Other designations include Islamabad for Afghans, Warsaw for Belarusians, Nassau for Haitians, Bogotá for Venezuelans, Djibouti for Yemenis, and Johannesburg for Zimbabweans.

Officials said the move aims to standardize procedures, link interviews to applicants’ residence or nationality, and provide clarity in countries lacking consular services.

Exceptions will be made only for humanitarian, medical, or foreign policy reasons.

The new requirements also apply to Diversity Visa (DV) applicants beginning with the DV-2026 program. Scheduled appointments remain unchanged, and applicants have been advised to use the Public Inquiry Form for case transfers.

The Kenyan DAILY POST