WASHINGTON — Federal officials plan to dramatically reduce the number of American diplomatic facilities in Africa authorized to handle visa applications from foreign nationals wanting to enter the United States.
Nearly 50 American diplomatic posts currently handling visa requests will be cut down to 20 locations within the next few weeks, three federal officials and an internal document obtained by The Associated Press reveal. While no firm timeline has been established, the transition is anticipated for June, according to the sources who requested anonymity since they lack authorization to speak publicly.
This reduction represents part of the current administration’s broader strategy to tighten controls on both temporary and permanent visa issuance, supporting wider goals to restrict American immigration and target individuals who exceed their authorized stay periods. The administration has also reduced staffing levels at diplomatic facilities worldwide.
During a conference call held last Friday, American diplomatic personnel, including consular leadership, received notification about the planned reduction of visa operations throughout Africa, one source who participated in the discussion reported.
Following approval from Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will limit consular functions to only 20 designated “hubs” across Africa, the officials and internal document confirm.
African visa processing has previously faced disruptions from travel restrictions affecting specific nations, requirements for applicants to provide bonds reaching $15,000, and more recent limitations due to the Ebola crisis.
These updated policies will require residents of countries without hub facilities to journey to one of the 20 designated locations, potentially creating substantial travel obstacles and expenses.
Diplomatic offices in non-hub nations will continue operating but with restricted service capabilities. These locations will maintain assistance for American citizens needing passport updates and emergency consular help, plus handle special national interest situations and diplomatic visa requests.
The State Department declined to comment on the specific memo details but stated 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.”
Officials added 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 internal document identifies these 20 continuing hubs: 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.
