HARARE – The United States has suspended routine visa processing at its embassy in Zimbabwe, citing high rates of overstays and lack of cooperation from the Zimbabwean government on immigration matters.
The suspension, which began on Thursday, affects all categories of visas — including student, tourist, immigrant, and business — and comes on the back of a directive from the US State Department. Only a limited number of diplomatic and official visa applications will still be considered.
According to US officials, the move forms part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to address the misuse of visas. Official data shows that Zimbabwe has an overstay rate of 10.57% for visitors holding B1 and B2 visas, translating to at least 709 individuals. Zimbabwean students are also reportedly being monitored for similar patterns.
Beyond the issue of overstays, Washington accuses Harare of refusing to enter into a “safe third country” agreement — a deal that would allow the US to send back asylum seekers to countries they passed through on their way to America. Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan are among the few African nations that have agreed to such arrangements.
US officials clarified that Zimbabweans who already hold valid US visas will not be affected by the freeze.
The development comes shortly after the US reintroduced a travel ban for 19 countries, citing poor passport control systems and high visa violations. Zimbabwe was among the countries reportedly given 60 days in June to meet stricter immigration and security conditions.
Just days before this latest move, Washington introduced a pilot programme requiring applicants from Malawi and Zambia to post bonds of up to $15,000. The scheme is aimed at curbing visa overstays and is set to take effect later this month.
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