June 02, (THEWILL) — The United States has triggered widespread concern across Africa after announcing plans to slash the number of its diplomatic missions authorised to process visa applications from nearly 50 to just 20 hubs.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the directive, approved by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was communicated to American diplomats during a conference call with consular officials last week, based on internal memos and officials familiar with the decision.
The restructuring will see visa processing services centralised in 20 major African cities, effectively stripping dozens of US missions of their routine visa adjudication roles. The changes are expected to take effect within weeks, likely in June, although Washington has yet to issue an official implementation timeline.
In a notable development for Nigeria, Lagos remains among the 20 cities that will retain full visa processing authority, preserving its role as one of West Africa’s key US consular centres. Other designated hubs include cities such as Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Dakar, and Kigali, among others spread across the continent.
The US Embassy network in Africa will continue to operate in non-designated locations, but their functions will be significantly reduced, particularly in relation to visa issuance.
The move comes amid an increasingly restrictive US immigration posture affecting several countries globally, including African states. In recent months, some applicants have faced additional financial requirements such as visa bonds reportedly reaching as high as $15,000 for certain categories of travel.
African countries also remain prominently affected by partial travel restrictions introduced under evolving US immigration rules.
The State Department has not publicly provided a detailed explanation for the restructuring, but officials cited in the AP report described it as part of efforts to streamline visa processing and concentrate consular operations in fewer, more centralised locations.
The consolidation is expected to significantly increase logistical and financial pressure on visa applicants across Africa, many of whom will now be required to travel to neighbouring countries to attend interviews and complete processing procedures.
While non-hub embassies and consulates will continue to function, their roles will largely be limited to assisting US citizens, handling emergency services, processing select diplomatic visas, and managing special cases of national interest.
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