US temporarily pauses immigration visa appointments globally, impacting Senegalese applicants
The US government announced a temporary pause in consular appointments for immigration visas worldwide to train consular officers on new evaluation criteria. This measure adds to existing restrictions for Senegalese nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States. Since January 21, 2026, Senegal has been among countries whose citizens face immigration visa suspensions due to a perceived high rate of reliance on public assistance by their nationals in the US, a concept central to the new training. While Senegalese applicants can still submit applications and attend interviews, the timeline for visa issuance is uncertain. Additionally, since the same date, Senegalese nationals applying for tourist and business visas B1/B2 must provide a deposit of up to 15,000 US dollars once their eligibility is confirmed. Paradoxically, despite these restrictions for Senegalese applicants, the US Embassy in Dakar has expanded its regional role. As part of a reorganization of US consular services in Africa, several neighboring embassies, including those in Mali and Guinea, stopped processing non-immigrant visa applications from August 1, 2026. Citizens from these countries must now apply through the US Embassy in Dakar. Washington states this centralization aims to standardize control and verification norms, but it may increase processing times and workload for the Dakar consulate, especially with the announced pause in immigration appointments. This pause is part of the Trump admin
