The State Department (DOS) has announced that, effective May 18, 2026, the US Embassies in Juba, South Sudan; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Kampala, Uganda have temporarily paused all visa services in light of an ongoing Ebola outbreak.
This pause includes applications for immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant visas for tourists, business travelers, students, exchange visitors, and all other nonimmigrant categories.
Currently, no appointments can be scheduled at these embassies. Appointment scheduling will resume after the pause is lifted. At that time, appointments affected by the pause will be rescheduled, and the applicants will be notified. Nonimmigrant visa application fees are valid for 365 days from the date of receipt issuance for applicants to schedule their interview appointments. The interview appointment itself may occur later than the 365-day cutoff date, as long as the scheduling is completed within 365 days.
This operational pause does not affect any currently valid visas. Affected visa applicants have been notified.
Erickson Insights and Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.