Visas

U.S. Visa Services

Visit the United States

NOTICE

Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances to nationals of countries, including Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan, whose immigrants have a high rate of collecting public assistance at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer. Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of impacted countries may submit visa applications and attend interviews, and the Department of State will continue to schedule consular appointments for visa interviews. Read more about the immigrant visa processing updates for nationalities at high risk of public benefits reliance.

Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality.  Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. For more information, visit travel.state.gov.

All individuals applying for an A-3, C-3 (if a domestic worker), G-5, H1-B, H-3, H-4 dependent of H-1B and H-3, F, M, J, K-1, K-2, K-3, Q, R-1, R-2, S, T, or U nonimmigrant visa are instructed to adjust the privacy setting on all social media accounts to “public” or “open” to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law. More information is available at travel.state.gov.

Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 10998 on Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States, which takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026, the United States is suspending or limiting entry and visa issuance to nationals of 39 countries as well as individuals applying using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. Applicants who are subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998 may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States. For additional details, visit travel.state.gov.

Effective immediately, the Department of State has paused all visa issuances to diversity immigrant visa applicants. For additional details, visit travel.state.gov here.

STATUS OF VISA PROCESSING AT U.S. EMBASSY NAIROBI

FOR ALL VISA QUESTIONS, PLEASE VISIT OUR VISA NAVIGATOR.

Immigrant Visas

U.S. Embassy Nairobi continues to work through the significant backlog of cases resulting from closures due to COVID-19. All applicants should expect delays in most stages of visa processing. Thank you for your continued patience.

Diversity Visa (DV): U.S Embassy Nairobi is processing DV2026 cases. For more information on the DV program, please visit: https://dvprogram.state.gov/

Nonimmigrant Visas

Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of nationality or residence.

Applicants who schedule nonimmigrant interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside of their country of nationality or residence might find that it will be more difficult to qualify for the visa. Fees paid for such applications will not be refunded.

Nationals of countries where the U.S. government is not conducting routine nonimmigrant visa operations must apply at the designated embassy or consulate, unless their residence is elsewhere. See the website for your country of nationality to determine the designated location for NIV applications.

Wait times for nonimmigrant interview appointments vary by location. Applicants applying outside their country of nationality or residence should expect to wait significantly longer for an appointment.

For more information, go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/visas-news/adjudicating-nonimmigrant-visa-applicants-in-their-country-of-residence-sep-6-2025.html

Expedited/Emergency Appointments: To request an expedited appointment, first schedule a regular appointment on the closest available date. Then, sign-in to your account, click “Continue”, select “Request Expedite.” For instructions on how to do so, go here and scroll down to the section on “Emergency Appointments.” Expedited Appointments will only be granted at the Consular Section’s discretion. Circumstances that may be considered for expedited appointments include:

An immediate relative’s death, grave illness, or life-threatening accident taking place in the United States.
Urgent medical treatment for the applicant or their minor child.
An applicant for a student or exchange visitor (F/M/J) visa whose I-20 or DS-2019 has a start date that is earlier than the first available visa appointment.
An unexpected need to travel to the United States for urgent business purposes that is occurring within 10 days after the first available visa appointment.
An unexpected visit that is of significant cultural, political, journalistic, sporting, or economic importance that is occurring within 10 days after the first available visa appointment.
An applicant for a tourism/business visitor (B1/B2) visa who has received a denial from the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

Circumstances considered for expedited appointments may vary. When you request an expedited appointment, you will see the list of acceptable circumstances in the country where you are applying for a visa.

J-1 applicants who are accepted to fee-exempt U.S. Government-funded programs may be eligible for expedited scheduling. You must have a G code for your program number on the Form DS-2019. Please follow the instructions in our visa navigator here to apply.

Interview Waiver Update

The Department of State has updated the categories of applicants that may be eligible for a waiver of the nonimmigrant visa interview. Consular officers have the authority and discretion to waive the in-person interview for the following categories as outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act section 222(h):

Applicants classifiable under the visa symbols A-1, A-2, C-3 (except attendants, servants, or personal employees of accredited officials), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-6, or TECRO E-1;
Applicants for diplomatic- or official-type visas; and
Applicants who previously held a visa in the same category that expired less than 12 months prior to the new application.

To be eligible for an interview waiver, applicants must also meet certain criteria, including that they:

apply in their country of nationality or residence;
have never been refused a visa (unless such refusal was overcome or waived); and
have no apparent or potential ineligibility.

Consular officers may still require in-person interviews on a case-by-case basis or because of local conditions. We encourage applicants to check embassy and consulate websites for more detailed information about visa application requirements and procedures, and to learn more about the embassy or consulate’s operating status and services.

This supersedes the Interview Waiver Update of December 21, 2023.

More details here.

Welcome to the U.S. Embassy Nairobi Consular Section

We are committed to providing professional consular services to U.S. citizens and visa applicants in Kenya. Whether you're applying for a visa, renewing a passport, or seeking emergency assistance, our goal is to support you every step of the way. Explore our services below to get started—and please watch the video for helpful guidance on what to expect.

What is a Visa?

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Visa section of this website is about U.S. visas for foreign citizens and nationals to travel to the United States.

Visit Travel.State.gov for additional information.

Note: U.S. citizens do not need a U.S. visa for travel to the United States. When planning travel abroad a U.S. citizen may need a visa issued by the embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit.

What Type of Visa Do You Need?

For short-term visits to the United States (for tourism, business, education, and more), you can go directly to the online application (form DS-160). For immigrant visas, which are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live and work permanently in the United States, you can visit the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services site for the relevant forms.  If you are unsure what type of visa you need, please use the Visa Wizard below.