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Abidjan

Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Visas suspended for citizens of 39 countries

Since January 1, 2026, the U.S. has stopped giving some or all visas to citizens of 39 countries, and to people with Palestinian Authority travel documents. You can still apply and get an interview, but you may not get a visa.

Details

Presidential Proclamation 10998 has suspended visas since January 1, 2026, with narrow exceptions. It depends on your nationality, not on the embassy.

All visas are suspended for nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and for anyone traveling on travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.

All immigrant visas, and B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, are suspended for nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All immigrant visas are suspended for nationals of Turkmenistan.

Spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens, and Afghan special immigrants, are no longer exempt. You can still apply and be scheduled for an interview, but the State Department says you may not be eligible for a visa. People with two nationalities who apply with the passport of a country not on these lists are exempt.

Source: State Department: Suspension of Visa Issuance to Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.

Last checked Sep 25, 2026.

Immigrant visa interviews may be delayed

News reports only; no State Department notice

News reports say many U.S. embassies delayed immigrant visa interviews from August 2026, while officers trained on new rules. We do not know if this has ended, so watch your email for any change to your interview.

Details

In August 2026, U.S. embassies and consulates reportedly postponed immigrant visa interviews while their consular officers were trained on new public charge guidance: rules on whether an applicant is likely to depend on public benefits. They emailed applicants with interviews booked that the interviews would be rescheduled. The State Department acknowledged the pause in a statement on August 25, but it has posted no notice about it on its website.

On August 26, a State Department statement quoted by Fox News said its training initiative started in early August. On August 27, the Associated Press quoted a State Department official saying that the pause began in early August and was not expected to last beyond early to mid-September. The official said the interviews affected, most of them scheduled for August, would be rescheduled for September, October and November.

The latest report we have found, from Reuters on September 8, said that processing had started again for Hungary and Poland while the pause continued elsewhere, and that it could last months, according to a person familiar with the matter. Reuters also said that the pause came after the August 21 court ruling against the 75-country pause, and that the government told a court interviews were rescheduled through August 31. We have found no report on whether the pause is still in effect.

If your interview was postponed, or is coming up, check your email and the embassy's website: NVC and embassies may reschedule interviews, including ones already booked.

Sources: Fox News: Trump admin pauses visa appointments worldwide amid heightened screening for applicants (August 26, 2026); Associated Press, via NBC News: Trump administration pauses all immigrant visa applications amid new screening policy (August 27, 2026); Ogletree: State Department Pauses Immigrant Visa Interviews for New Public Charge Guidance Training (August 31, 2026); Reuters, via Yahoo News: US resumes immigrant visa processing for Hungary, Poland as pause remains elsewhere (September 8, 2026).

Last checked Sep 25, 2026.

Interview scheduling at Abidjan

Most immigrant visa applicants at Abidjan are citizens of Côte d'Ivoire, and immigrant visas for citizens of Côte d'Ivoire are suspended. They can still get an interview, but they may not get a visa.

Details

NVC can still schedule their interviews, but the State Department says applicants covered by the suspension may not be eligible for a visa. People with two nationalities who apply with the passport of a country not covered are an exception. See “Visas suspended for citizens of 39 countries” above.

Spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens

NVC is scheduling most interviews for cases that became documentarily complete in March 2026. In the previous update, from Apr 2, 2026, it was September 2025.

Family preference (one month for F1, F2A, F2B, F3 and F4)

NVC is scheduling most interviews for cases that became documentarily complete in July 2026. In the previous update, from Apr 2, 2026, these cases were current.

Employment (one month for EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5)

The State Department lists these cases as current (cases that became documentarily complete in September 2026).

“Current” can also mean the post is not scheduling those cases at all. Check the embassy’s own website, listed at usembassy.gov.

Compare this with the month NVC told you your case was documentarily complete, which means NVC accepted all your documents. It is not a wait time: it is the month most interviews are being scheduled for now, and it can move backwards. Family preference and employment cases also need a current priority date in the Visa Bulletin.

The State Department says it cannot predict exactly when a case will be scheduled. Source: State Department IV Scheduling Status Tool, updated Sep 23, 2026.

Visa classes at Abidjan

Find your visa class

Badges: average visas issued per month, Mar 2025 to Feb 2026.

B1/B2

Business or Tourist Visa

DV

Diversity visa (green card lottery) winner, and their spouse and children

F1

Student in an academic or language training program

A2

Foreign government official or employee, or immediate family

CR1/IR1

Spouse of U.S. citizen

CR2/IR2

Child of U.S. citizen

G4

International organization officer or employee, and immediate family

F1 (family)

Unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and their children

F2A

Spouse or child under 21 of lawful permanent resident

G2

Representative of foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family

IR5

Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age

K1

Fiancé(e) of U. S. citizen

J1

Exchange visitor

C1/D

Combined transit and crewmember visa

F4

Brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, and their spouse and children

H1B

Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services

A1

Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family

F2B

Unmarried son or daughter (21 or older) of lawful permanent resident, and their children

G1

Principal representative of foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family

I

Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children

C1

Alien in transit

EB-3

Skilled worker or professional, and their spouse and children

F2

Spouse or child of F1

K2

Child of K1

P3

Artist or entertainer in a culturally unique program

L2

Spouse or child of L1

F3

Married son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and their spouse and children

A3

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A1 or A2, or immediate family

G5

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of G1 through G4, and immediate family

L1

Intracompany transferee

P1

Athlete or member of entertainment group

EB-1

Priority worker (extraordinary ability, outstanding professor or researcher, multinational executive or manager), and their spouse and children

H4

Spouse or child of temporary worker (such as H1B)

R1

Alien in a religious occupation

C2

Alien in transit to United Nations Headquarters district

EB-2

Professional holding an advanced degree or person of exceptional ability, and their spouse and children

H3

Trainee

M1

Vocational student

SB1

Returning resident

C3

Foreign government official, immediate family, attendant, servant or personal employee, in transit

D

Crewmember (sea or air)

E2

Treaty investor, spouse or child

E3

Australian specialty occupation professional

EB-5

Investor (employment creation), including the rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure set-asides, and their spouse and children

EW

Other worker (EB-3 jobs that need less than two years of training or experience), and their spouse and children

G3

Representative of non-recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family

GV1

GV2

GV3

IB1

Self-petitioning spouse of U.S. citizen, and their children

IH3

Child adopted abroad by U.S. citizen under Hague Convention

IR3

Orphan adopted abroad by U.S. citizen

IW

Certain spouses of deceased U.S. citizens, and their children

J2

Spouse or child of exchange visitor

O1

Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics

O2

Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O1

O3

Spouse or child of O1 or O2

P2

Artist or entertainer in a reciprocal exchange program

R2

Spouse or child of R1

SD

Minister of religion, and their spouse and children

SE

Certain employees or former employees of the U.S. government abroad, and their spouse and children

SQ

Certain Iraqis or Afghans employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government, and their spouse and children

T2

Spouse of T1

T3

Child of T1

U3

Child of U1

56 visa classes with none issued at Abidjan, Mar 2017 to Feb 2026

AM

Vietnam Amerasian, and certain family members

B2A

Self-petitioning spouse or child of lawful permanent resident, and their children

B2B

Self-petitioning unmarried son or daughter of lawful permanent resident, and their children

BBBCC/BBBCV

Border Crossing Card

BC

Broadcaster employed by the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau or a grantee, and their spouse and children

BX

Self-petitioning spouse or child of lawful permanent resident, exempt from the per-country limit, and their children

C4

C4/D3

CQ

Afghan special immigrant (employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government) admitted as a conditional permanent resident, and their spouse and children

CW1

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) transitional worker

CW2

Spouse or child of CW1

D3

E1

Treaty trader, spouse or child

E2C

Northern Mariana Islands investor, spouse or child

E3D

Spouse or child of E3

E3R

Returning E3

E4

H1B1

Free Trade Agreement Professional

H1C

Shortage area nurse

H2A

Temporary worker performing agricultural services

H2B

Temporary worker performing other services

IB2

Self-petition child of U.S. citizen

IH4

Child to be adopted in U.S. by U.S. citizen under Hague Convention

IR4

Orphan to be adopted in the United States by U.S. citizen

K3

Spouse of U.S. Citizen (barely used in practice, see instead CR1/IR1)

K4

Child of K3

M2

Spouse or child of M1

N8

Parent of SK3 or SN3

N9

Child of N8 or some special immigrants

NATO1

Principal U.S. representative of NATO member state, members of official staff, principal NATO officers, and immediate family

NATO2

U.S. representative of NATO member state and immediate family, member of NATO-agreed force, and dependents

NATO3

NATO4

Official of NATO, and immediate family

NATO5

Experts employed by NATO, and dependents

NATO6

Civilian accompanying a NATO-agreed force, and dependents

NATO7

Attendant, servant, or personal employee of NATO-1 through NATO-6, and immediate family

P4

Spouse or child of P1, P2, or P3

Q1

Participant in an international cultural exchange program

S7

Immediate family of S5 or S6

SF

SG

SI

Certain Iraqis or Afghans employed by the U.S. government as translators or interpreters, and their spouse and children

SK

Certain retired international organization employees, and their families

SR

Certain religious workers, and their spouse and children

SSC

SU

Spouse, child or parent of a U-1 visa holder (victim of criminal activity)

SW

T4

Parent of T1 under 21 years of age

T5

Unmarried sibling under age 18 of T1 under 21 years of age

T6

Adult/minor child of derivative beneficiary of T1

TD

Spouse or child of TN

TN

NAFTA professional

U1

Victim of criminal activity

U2

Spouse of U1

U4

Parent of U1 under 21 years of age

U5

Unmarried sibling under age 18 of U1 under 21 years of age