Thousands of Africans applying for United States visas may soon face higher travel expenses and longer application journeys following a new decision by the U.S. government to reduce the number of visa-processing locations across Africa.
Under the revised arrangement, around 50 U.S. embassies and consulates that currently handle visa applications on the continent will be consolidated into 20 main processing hubs in the coming weeks. The move is part of wider immigration tightening measures linked to the administration of President Donald Trump, aimed at increasing control over visa issuance.
As a result, applicants from countries without designated processing centres may now be required to travel to neighbouring nations to submit applications or attend interviews, adding both financial and logistical pressure to the process.
Despite the changes, U.S. diplomatic missions will continue to provide essential services such as assistance to American citizens, passport renewals, and emergency consular support. Visa cases considered to be in the United States’ national interest will also still be processed.
The 20 designated visa hubs across Africa include cities such as Abuja, 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.
Analysts warn that the policy could make access to U.S. visas more difficult for many Africans, especially those in countries losing full visa services, potentially leading to longer waiting times and increased travel costs.
