US Visa Applicants In Africa May Face Fresh Higher Travel Cost Under New Policy

Thousands of Africans seeking visas to the United States (US) may soon face higher travel costs and longer processing journeys following a decision by the US government to reduce the number of diplomatic missions handling visa applications across the continent.

Under the new arrangement, nearly 50 US embassies and consulates currently processing visa applications in Africa will be consolidated into 20 designated hubs in the coming weeks.

The move is part of broader immigration measures by the administration of President Donald Trump aimed at tightening immigration controls and strengthening oversight of visa issuance.

The development means that applicants in countries without designated visa-processing centres may have to travel to another African country to submit their applications or attend visa interviews.

The policy is expected to create additional financial and logistical challenges for prospective travellers, especially those who may have to pay for international travel, accommodation and other related expenses before attending visa interviews.

Analysts say the new arrangement could also increase waiting times for applicants, as fewer centres will be responsible for handling visa requests from a larger number of countries.

The changes are likely to affect students, tourists, business travellers, workers and families seeking to visit or relocate to the United States.

Although visa services will be scaled back in many locations, US embassies and consulates in affected countries will continue to provide services to American citizens.

These services include passport renewals, emergency assistance and other consular support.

Diplomatic visa applications and cases considered to be in the US national interest will also continue to receive attention under the new policy.

Lagos, Accra, Nairobi Listed As Hubs

Reports indicated that the 20 centres expected to retain full visa-processing capabilities are located in Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé.

The inclusion of Lagos means Nigeria will remain one of the countries where full US visa-processing services will continue under the new structure.

However, applicants from countries without listed hubs may now have to travel to nearby countries to complete the visa process.

Naija News reports that the policy comes amid a series of immigration measures introduced by the Trump administration.

These include stricter visa requirements and increased scrutiny of applicants from several countries.

The latest move is expected to make access to US visas more difficult for many Africans, particularly those living in countries where full visa-processing services will no longer be available.

Observers say the decision could reshape how Africans apply for US visas and may place additional pressure on the remaining processing centres across the continent.