According to an internal State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the number of US diplomatic missions in Africa handling visa applications is set to be cut from nearly 50 to just 20 in the coming weeks.
Although no official implementation date has been announced, the changes are expected to take effect before the end of June.
The move forms part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls, including stricter scrutiny of both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications and measures aimed at reducing visa overstays.
Under the proposed restructuring, only a limited number of US embassies in Africa will continue processing visa applications. In East Africa, the embassies in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to retain visa services.
The US embassies in Burundi, Somalia and South Sudan are among those likely to lose the authority to process routine visa applications.
Other countries expected to continue offering visa services include Senegal, Djibouti, South Africa, Nigeria, Togo, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Mauritius, Cape Verde and Cameroon.
If the plan is implemented, applicants from countries where visa services are discontinued will have to travel to designated regional hubs to submit their applications.
The change is expected to increase costs for many travelers, who may need to cover additional expenses for transport, accommodation and other logistics.
Embassies that no longer process regular visa applications will continue to provide consular services such as passport renewals for US citizens, emergency assistance and the handling of diplomatic visa requests.
According to US officials cited by the Associated Press, American diplomats and consular officers were informed during a conference call last week that visa operations across Africa would be consolidated as part of the restructuring.
Leave a Reply