U.S. to slash number of embassies in Africa that can process visas

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The United States is set to reduce the number of embassies and consulates across Africa that can process visa applications, according to an internal State Department memo and three U.S. officials familiar with the plan.

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The measure will cut the number of U.S. diplomatic missions handling visa applications from nearly 50 to just 20 in the coming weeks. While no official implementation date has been announced, the changes are expected to take effect in June.

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The decision forms part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls, reduce the issuance of both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, and address concerns over visitors who remain in the United States after their visas expire. The administration has also reduced staffing levels at diplomatic missions worldwide.

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According to one official who participated in a conference call last Friday, U.S. diplomats and consular chiefs were informed that visa services across Africa would be scaled back substantially.

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The changes were approved under a directive signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week. Under the new arrangement, full consular visa operations will be maintained only in 20 designated regional hubs across the continent.

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The move comes as visa processing in Africa has already faced disruptions due to travel restrictions on certain countries, new financial bond requirements for some applicants, and limitations linked to recent Ebola-related measures.

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Under the new system, citizens from countries that do not host one of the designated hubs will be required to travel to another country to submit visa applications and attend interviews. The change is expected to increase travel costs and create logistical challenges for many applicants.

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Although consular sections in non-hub countries will remain operational, their services will be restricted. They will continue assisting U.S. citizens with passport renewals, emergency consular matters, diplomatic visas and select cases deemed to be in the U.S. national interest.

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Responding to questions about the policy, the State Department did not directly address details contained in the memo but said it “is constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

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The department added that this “includes a visa process that maintains rigorous standards of security screening and vetting and aligns resources and operational capacity with America’s national interests.”

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According to the memo, the 20 African locations that will continue offering full visa processing services are located in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti, Kampala (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Lagos (Nigeria), Lomé (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde) and Yaoundé (Cameroon).

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