According to Associated Press, the United States has announced plans to cut the number of embassies in Africa authorized to process visa applications.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that visa services will be reduced from 50 embassies to just 20 across Africa. No timeline has yet been announced for when this policy will take effect.
The move is expected to make it harder for many Africans to access U.S. visas, potentially reducing travel and migration.
During his first term, President Donald Trump prioritized immigration reforms, including stricter visa policies.
He previously made controversial remarks about African and Haitian immigrants, describing their countries in derogatory terms.
This new decision aligns with a broader push to limit migration flows into the U.S.
The 20 embassies that will continue to process visas are located in:
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 – DR Congo
Lagos – Nigeria
Lome – Togo
Luanda – Angola
Malabo – Equatorial Guinea
Monrovia – Liberia
Nairobi – Kenya
Port Louis – Mauritius
Praia – Cape Verde
Yaoundé – Cameroon
Africans outside these 20 cities will face longer travel distances and higher costs to apply for visas. The reduction could affect student exchanges, business travel, and family reunification.
Analysts suggest this may further strain U.S.–Africa relations, especially in countries excluded from the list.