Major Blow to African Travellers as US Cuts Visa Processing Centres to 20 [Full List]

The US is set to reduce visa processing centres across Africa from nearly 50 to 20, forcing many applicants to travel farther for visa services.

Philips News reports that the United States government is preparing to significantly restructure its visa processing system across Africa, a move that will reduce the number of embassies and consulates handling visa applications from nearly 50 locations to just 20 regional centres. The planned changes are expected to be implemented this month as part of a broader review of U.S. consular operations on the continent.

According to reports citing an internal State Department document and U.S. officials familiar with the matter, visa applications for both immigrant and non-immigrant categories will be consolidated into 20 designated processing hubs. While an exact implementation date has not been announced, diplomats and consular officials were reportedly briefed on the new arrangement during a recent conference call.

The overhaul forms part of the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen immigration controls and address concerns over visa overstays. Under the new framework, most U.S. diplomatic missions in Africa will no longer conduct regular visa processing, with those responsibilities transferred to the selected regional hubs.

Although embassies and consulates in non-hub countries will remain operational, their services will largely focus on assisting American citizens, handling emergency consular matters, processing diplomatic visas, and addressing cases considered to be in the U.S. national interest. The changes are expected to require many visa applicants to travel to other countries for interviews and application processing, potentially increasing costs and logistical challenges.

The State Department 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.”

It 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.”

FULL LIST: 20 U.S. visa processing hubs in Africa

• Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
• 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, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Lagos, Nigeria
• Lomé, Togo
• Luanda, Angola
• Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
• Monrovia, Liberia
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Port Louis, Mauritius
• Praia, Cape Verde
• Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Meanwhile, PhilipsNews reports that the recent months have already brought additional challenges for visa applicants across Africa, including travel restrictions on selected countries, proposed visa bond requirements of up to $15,000 for certain travellers, and operational disruptions caused by public health measures such as Ebola-related controls.

The planned overhaul represents one of the most far-reaching changes to U.S. visa processing operations on the continent in recent years, significantly reducing the number of locations where applicants can access visa services.