U.S. EMBASSY NAIROBI STATEMENT ON VISAS

U.S. EMBASSY NAIROBI STATEMENT ON VISAS

The United States values and welcomes Kenyan visitors and celebrates our strong people-to-people ties.  As the world emerges from the pandemic with renewed interest in travel, U.S. Embassy Nairobi will continue its concerted efforts to meet the demand for visa services.

Due to COVID-19 health and safety measures, nonimmigrant visa interviews at U.S. Embassy Nairobi ceased for over a year.  The Embassy restarted interviews at full capacity in February 2022.  As we work through the backlog of applications and address the high demand for services, we recognize that some applicants may face extended visa interview wait times.  This is a worldwide problem that U.S. embassies are diligently striving to address.

Currently, the first available dates for a visitor visa appointment in Nairobi are in June 2024.  U.S. Embassy Nairobi recognizes the significant challenges and frustrations this poses for Kenyans planning to visit the United States for business and tourism.

Since resuming operations, U.S. Embassy Nairobi has doubled the number of daily interviews  and will continue to add additional staff and increase capacity over time.

U.S. Embassy Nairobi has taken the following additional measures to facilitate travel to the United States:

• We updated the U.S. Embassy webpage (http://ke.usembassy.gov) to reflect current visa interview wait times, emphasizing fees are nonrefundable so Kenyans can make informed decisions before submitting their application and paying the associated fees.
• We instituted a visa renewal process that does not require an in-person interview for certain applicants. Kenyans renewing visitor (B1/B2 category) or student visas (F category) whose visas expired less than one year ago may be eligible to renew without an interview.
• We offer expedited appointments for emergency situations, including the death of an immediate family member, the need to travel for urgent medical care, and for students whose program starts in less than 30 days and who will suffer irreparable harm, such as the loss of a scholarship, if they cannot travel.

The U.S. Embassy will continue to take all possible steps to reduce visa interview wait times as quickly as possible.  For additional information on applying for a U.S. visa, please visit our visa appointment website at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/en-ke/niv