The United States is planning a major restructuring of its visa processing system in Africa, reducing the number of embassies and consulates handling applications from nearly 50 to just 20 locations.
According to officials and an internal memo, the US State Department intends to centralise visa services at selected hubs across the continent within the coming weeks. The directive is said to have been approved by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Selected visa processing hubs
Under the new arrangement, applicants will be directed to 20 designated locations, including cities such as Lagos, Abuja region applicants (served via Lagos), Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Dakar, and several others spread across West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.
Other approved hubs include Abidjan, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.
Impact on applicants
Although the implementation date has not been officially confirmed, the changes are expected to begin soon. Once in effect, applicants from countries without a visa-processing hub may need to travel internationally to complete their applications, potentially increasing costs and delays.
US diplomatic posts in non-hub countries are expected to continue limited operations, such as assistance for American citizens, emergency services, passport renewals, and select diplomatic visa cases.
Wider immigration context
The decision comes amid broader changes in US immigration policy, including tighter visa rules and increased financial requirements for some applicants. Reports also suggest that some travellers may face additional conditions, including visa bonds in certain categories.
Officials say the restructuring aims to streamline operations, but critics argue it could make access to US visas more difficult for many African applicants.
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