NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 2— The United States is preparing to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic missions across Africa that can process visa applications, a move expected to affect thousands of travelers seeking entry into the U.S., according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).
Under the planned changes, the number of U.S. embassies and consulates on the continent handling visa applications will be cut from nearly 50 to just 20 designated regional hubs in the coming weeks.
The measure is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten immigration controls and strengthen visa vetting procedures.
The Associated Press, citing an internal State Department memorandum and three U.S. officials familiar with the matter, reported that the transition is expected to begin in June, although a specific implementation date has not yet been announced.
According to the report, U.S. diplomats and consular officials were informed during a recent conference call that visa services across Africa would be consolidated into a smaller number of locations.
“On a conference call last Friday, U.S. diplomats, including consular chiefs, were told the U.S. would be scaling back its visa services across Africa, according to one of the officials who was on the call,” the Associated Press said.
The directive was reportedly approved by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The decision comes amid a wider restructuring of American diplomatic operations overseas, including staff reductions at embassies and consulates.
The administration argues that concentrating visa processing in selected regional centres will improve security screening and align resources with U.S. national interests.
For applicants living in countries that lose visa-processing authority, the changes could mean travelling across borders to one of the designated hubs, potentially increasing costs, travel time and logistical challenges for students, tourists, business travellers and immigrants.
While embassies and consulates in non-hub countries will remain operational, their services will be limited, the AP said.
They will continue providing assistance to American citizens, including passport services and emergency consular support, as well as handling diplomatic visas and select cases deemed to be in the national interest.
The State Department did not directly comment on the internal memo but said it continuously reviews its overseas operations to ensure taxpayer resources are used efficiently while maintaining rigorous security standards in visa processing.
The move follows a series of recent restrictions affecting visa applicants in Africa, including travel bans targeting certain countries, financial bond requirements for some applicants, and disruptions linked to the Ebola outbreak.
According to the internal memorandum obtained by AP, the 20 African cities that will retain full visa-processing capabilities are: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.
The overhaul is expected to reshape access to U.S. visa services across Africa, particularly for applicants in countries that will no longer process visa applications locally.
