WASHINGTON — The United States plans to slash the number of embassies and consulates in Africa that process visas from 50 to 20, forcing applicants in most countries to travel abroad to apply, the Associated Press reported.
No date has been set, but officials told AP the change is expected in June.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.
Zimbabwe is already hit.
The U.S. Embassy in Harare has paused all routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing, citing security concerns and a high overstay rate.
Entry to the U.S. has also been formally suspended for many Zimbabwean visa categories. As a result, Zimbabweans must travel to South Africa to apply.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s push to limit immigration and curb visa overstays.
It comes amid broader cuts to embassy and consulate staffing worldwide.
Visa processing in Africa has already been squeezed by country-specific travel bans, a $15,000 visa bond requirement for some applicants, and restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak.
Under the new rules, citizens from non-hub countries will have to travel to one of 20 designated posts, adding cost and logistical hurdles.
The 20 hubs that will remain open for all processing, per AP: 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.