MBABANE- The United States Department of State is planning a major restructuring of its visa-processing operations across Africa, significantly reducing the number of U.S. embassies and consulates authorized to process visa applications from foreign nationals seeking entry to the United States.
According to three U.S. officials and an internal memorandum obtained by the Associated Press, the number of visa-processing posts across the continent will be cut from nearly 50 to just 20 regional hubs in the coming weeks.
While no official implementation date has been announced, the changes are expected to take effect in June.
Under the new arrangement, applicants from countries that are not designated as visa-processing hubs will be required to travel to one of the approved locations to submit visa applications and attend interviews.
The move is expected to create significant logistical and financial challenges for many applicants, particularly those from countries with limited regional connectivity.
Although consular sections in non-hub countries will remain open, their services will be substantially reduced.
These missions will continue to provide assistance to U.S. citizens, including passport renewals and emergency consular services, as well as handle diplomatic visas and certain cases deemed to be of special national interest.
The internal memo identifies the following 20 African locations that will continue to provide full visa-processing services: Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), Addis Abeba (Ethiopia), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Djibouti City (Djibouti), Kampala (Uganda), Kigali (Rwanda), Kinshasa (DR Congo), Lagos (Nigeria), Lomé (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde), and Yaoundé (Cameroon).
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