US to slash number of African embassies processing visas from 50 to 20

Citizens of non-hub countries will have to travel to one of 20 approved sites to apply for a US visa

The US State Department plans to sharply reduce the number of embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas, cutting locations from nearly 50 to just 20.

According to AP News, three US officials and an internal memo obtained by the news agency confirmed that the reduction will happen in the coming weeks. No specific date has been set, but the change is expected in June.

The decision is part of the Trump administration's wider crackdown on both immigrant and non-immigrant visas, aimed at reducing immigration to the US and targeting those who enter on temporary visas and remain beyond their authorized stay. The administration has also reduced staffing at diplomatic posts worldwide.

Diplomats briefed on conference call

During a conference call last Friday, US diplomats, including consular chiefs, learned that visa services across Africa would be scaled back, according to one official who participated in the call.

A directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week instructs the State Department to limit consular operations to 20 "hubs" across the continent.

Travel burden for applicants

Under the new arrangement, citizens from countries without a hub will need to travel to one of the 20 designated locations to apply for a visa, potentially creating significant logistical challenges and expenses.

Visa processing in Africa has already faced disruptions from travel bans targeting certain countries, a bond requirement of up to $15,000 for some applicants, and more recently, restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak.

Limited services at non-hub locations

Consular sections in countries without hubs will remain open but with restricted services. They will continue to handle passport renewals and emergency requests for American citizens, as well as special national interest cases and diplomatic visa applications.

State Department response

The State Department did not comment on the specific details in the memo but stated that 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."

The 20 visa processing hubs

The 20 locations that will continue processing all visa types are: Abidjan (Ivory Coast), 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 (Congo), Lagos (Nigeria), Lomé (Togo), Luanda (Angola), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Monrovia (Liberia), Nairobi (Kenya), Port Louis (Mauritius), Praia (Cape Verde), and Yaoundé (Cameroon).