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The U.S. government will drastically reduce the points where African citizens can apply for a visa to enter the country. Of nearly 50 embassies and consulates that currently process applications, only 20 will continue operating as authorized centers. For those living outside those designated cities, obtaining a U.S. visa will become an almost impossible task.

The measure was approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and responds to the immigration policy of Donald Trump‘s administration, aimed at limiting the issuance of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Three officials and an internal memo obtained by the news agency AP confirmed the details. The change is expected in June 2026, although no official date has been confirmed.

Attention.Confirmed: US, Canada, and Spain to Deny Entry to Travelers Who Missed This Passport Step

Which consulates will stop processing the U.S. visa?

Consulates outside the 20 hubs will not close, but their functions will be severely restricted: they will only be able to handle consular emergencies for U.S. citizens, passport renewals, national interest cases and diplomatic visas. Visa processing for local citizens will be suspended.

The U.S. government will drastically reduce the points where African citizens can apply for a visa to enter the country. Image: Freepik.

The 20 hubs authorized to process the U.S. visa are:

  • Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
  • Accra (Ghana)
  • Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)
  • Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa)
  • Dakar (Senegal)
  • Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
  • Djibouti
  • Kampala (Uganda)
  • Kigali (Rwanda)
  • Kinshasa (Congo)
  • Lagos (Nigeria)
  • Lomé (Togo)
  • Luanda (Angola)
  • Malabo (Equatorial Guinea)
  • Monrovia (Liberia)
  • Nairobi (Kenya)
  • Port Louis (Mauritius)
  • Praia (Cape Verde)
  • Yaoundé (Cameroon)
Attention travelers.Official | The United States will prohibit entry to and exit from the country for citizens and foreigners who have a valid passport but do not meet this rule

How does this measure affect those who want to apply for the U.S. visa?

For citizens of countries without a hub, applying for the U.S. visa will mean traveling hundreds or thousands of kilometers to an authorized city, with the transportation and lodging costs that entails. Added to that are previous restrictions: the travel ban on certain countries and a bond of up to US$15,000 to be able to apply.

In practice, the combination of geographic, economic and bureaucratic barriers makes the process inaccessible for much of the affected population. The State Department did not respond to the memo’s content, but said it is reviewing its overseas operations to align resources with national priorities and maintain security standards.