US To Cut Visa Processing Centres In Africa To 20 Hubs

The United States Department of State has unveiled plans to significantly reduce the number of embassies and consulates in Africa handling visa processing, in a move expected to reshape travel logistics across the continent.

According to officials and an internal memo, the US plans to scale down its current network of nearly 50 visa-processing missions in Africa to just 20 designated hubs in the coming weeks.

The decision, reportedly approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was communicated to American diplomats, including consular chiefs, during a conference call last Friday.

Under the proposed arrangement, visa processing will be centralised in key cities, including Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dakar, Addis Ababa, and Kigali, among others spread across the continent.

Other designated locations include Abidjan, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Kampala, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.

Although an official implementation date has not been confirmed, the changes are expected to take effect in June.

The move comes amid broader shifts in US foreign and immigration policy, including tighter visa regulations and increased financial requirements for certain categories of applicants. In some cases, African travellers, including Nigerians, may face visa bonds of up to $15,000 for B1/B2 applications.

The planned consolidation is expected to create additional challenges for applicants, many of whom may now need to travel across borders to access visa services, increasing both cost and logistical complexity.

Despite the reduction, US embassies and consulates in non-designated countries will remain operational, albeit with limited functions. These will include services for US citizens, passport renewals, emergency consular assistance, and select diplomatic or national interest visa cases.