WASHINGTON – In a significant policy shift, the State Department is preparing to considerably reduce the number of U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa authorized to process visa applications for individuals wishing to enter the United States.
Currently, nearly 50 U.S. embassies and consulates handle these visa processes, but this number is set to drop to just 20 in the upcoming weeks. This information comes from three U.S. officials and a confidential memo obtained by The Associated Press. Although no specific date has been finalized, the changes are projected to take effect in June, according to officials who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.
This initiative is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to tighten immigration controls, reducing both immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuances. The move also aligns with efforts to decrease embassy and consulate staff internationally, aiming to mitigate the issue of individuals overstaying their temporary visas in the U.S.
During a conference call held last Friday, U.S. diplomats and consular chiefs were informed of the impending reduction in visa services across Africa, as revealed by one of the officials present on the call.
Following a directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will consolidate its consular operations into 20 key “hubs” across Africa. This decision is clearly outlined in the internal memo and confirmed by officials.
Visa services in Africa have already been impacted by various factors, including a travel ban on specific countries, a requirement for applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000, and recent disruptions due to the Ebola outbreak.
The new rules mean that a citizen of a non-hub country will have to travel to one of the 20 approved sites, which could pose formidable travel challenges and costs.
Consular sections in non-hub countries will stay open but be limited in the services they can offer. They will still be able to assist American citizens with passport renewals and emergency consular requests as well as special national interest cases and diplomatic visa applications.
According to the memo, the 20 hubs to remain open for all processing 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; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.
___
Mednick reported from Tel Aviv.
