AdvertisementThe State Department clarified that the affected embassies and consulates will remain operational and that the policy does not invalidate any currently valid US visas. The visa categories affected include immediate relative (IR), family preference (FP), employment-based (EB), fiancée/fiancé (K), adoption, diversity visa, and follow-to-join asylee and refugee (V92/V93) cases. The department advised applicants in affected countries to book appointments and pay visa fees at their designated hub locations from August 1. The policy is expected to affect thousands of Nigerians, as Abuja has been one of the country’s two main US visa processing centres alongside the Consulate in Lagos. Going forward, many applicants may now have to travel to Lagos or other designated African hubs to complete their visa applications.