The US government is planning to significantly reduce the number of American embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas for travelers, cutting them from over 50 to just 20. This means the US will suspend visa processing at dozens of diplomatic missions across the continent, requiring applicants to seek visas at fewer locations.
According to the Associated Press, under the directive of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US State Department will scale back consular operations to only 20 hubs in Africa in the coming weeks. This policy also affects Nigeria, where the US will cease visa processing in Abuja and restrict services to the Lagos consulate.
Reasons for the decision
The State Department stated that this decision is based on the need to allocate more resources to US policy priorities. The AP reported that this includes ensuring a visa process that maintains rigorous security screening and vetting, aligning resources and operational capacity with America's national interests.
Implementation timeline
Although no specific date has been set, the policy is expected to take effect this month. US envoys in Africa were instructed last week to begin reducing visa services on the continent. The centralized approach means travelers from non-hub countries will have to travel to one of the 20 approved centers to apply for US visas.
List of remaining hubs
The 20 hubs that will remain open include: Lagos (Nigeria), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Accra (Ghana), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Cape Town (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti (Djibouti), Johannesburg (South Africa), Kampala (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda), Kinshasa (Congo), Lome (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde), and Yaounde (Cameroon).
This policy is the latest in US President Donald Trump's broader crackdown on immigrants, following a sweeping ban on several visa categories from numerous African countries, including Nigeria, and the suspension of green card applications by temporary visa holders within the US. Premium Times reported the introduction of a new regulation mandating Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the US who seek to change their status from temporary visa holders to permanent residents to return to their home country to apply for a Green Card. The US also imposed bond requirements on African countries, requiring applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 before applying for a visa.
This new US policy further tightens immigration and travel pathways for Africans. Consular sections in non-hub countries will remain open but will offer only limited services, including passport renewal for US citizens, special national interest cases, and diplomatic visa applications.
