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Worldwide Caution: The Department of State advises Americans worldwide to exercise increased caution.

U.S. Visa Services
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NOTICE

Starting April 2, 2026, nationals of Lesotho who are found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa must post a bond of up to $15,000.  At the time of the interview, the consular officer will inform the applicant whether they are eligible for a visa and will provide instructions on how to pay this bond.  Applicants must not use any third-party website for posting the bond, nor pay a bond before instructed to do so by a consular officer.  B1/B2 visas for nationals of Lesotho cannot be issued until the bond has been paid. This requirement applies regardless of place of application.

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.

Routine Visa Services Update Effective August 1, 2026

Effective August 1, 2026, the Department of State will realign and consolidate visa services in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Routine visa services will cease to be offered at the following U.S. diplomatic posts: Abuja, Antananarivo, Asmara, Bamako, Banjul, Brazzaville, Bujumbura, Conakry, Cotonou, Durban, Freetown, Gaborone, Harare, Juba, Libreville, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Maseru, Mbabane, N’Djamena, Niamey, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, and Windhoek.  Visa services previously offered at these posts will be consolidated within a smaller number of select regional visa hubs. From August 1, 2026 onwards, nationals and residents of countries where the aforementioned posts are located who wish to apply for a visa must schedule an appointment and pay the required visa fee at the appropriate designated regional hub.

If you have a scheduled interview at one of these locations, please monitor your email for specific guidance about your application.  For more information, go to Realignment of U.S. Visa Services in Africa to Regional Hubs.

VISA OPERATING STATUS

The U.S. Consulates in South Africa (Visas – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in South Africa – How to Apply for a U.S. Visa) are responsible for providing visa services to those from Lesotho seeking to enter the United States, except for diplomatic visa categories. Please follow the instructions at https://ais.usvisa-info.com  to schedule an appointment or to submit your visa application.  Approximate wait times for appointments can be found by visiting https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html.

For questions regarding scheduling an appointment online, requesting an expedited appointment, or renewing your U.S. visa via courier, please call +27 87 550 2160.  Customer service center agents are available Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm local time.

For diplomatic and official visas only, please follow instructions in the attached form.  Click here to view the form.

Lesotho citizens renewing a visa in the same visa class may be eligible for an interview waiver when renewing in South Africa.  Please see the Interview Waiver Section Visas – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in South Africa – How to Apply for a U.S. Visa.

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.

To learn more about US visas and determine what visa type is appropriate for you, please visit: U.S. Visas

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