The U.S. State Department is planning a significant restructuring of its visa services across Africa that could dramatically change how millions of Africans apply for permission to travel to the United States.
According to an internal document obtained by the Associated Press (AP), as well as information confirmed by three U.S. officials, Washington intends to reduce the number of embassies and consulates authorized to fully process visa applications on the continent from nearly 50 to only 20 regional centers.
If implemented, the move would represent one of the biggest changes to U.S. consular operations in Africa in recent years.
Under the proposal, only 20 designated regional hubs would continue handling full visa services. Those locations include Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, Accra in Ghana, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa, Dakar in Senegal, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Kampala in Uganda, Kigali in Rwanda, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lagos in Nigeria, Lomé in Togo, Luanda in Angola, Malabo in Equatorial Guinea, Monrovia in Liberia, Nairobi in Kenya, Port Louis in Mauritius, Praia in Cape Verde and Yaoundé in Cameroon.
The plan would leave many African countries without a local U.S. diplomatic mission capable of processing visa applications, potentially forcing applicants to travel to neighboring countries for interviews and administrative procedures.
The Associated Press reported that the proposal is part of a broader effort by the State Department to reorganize consular services and concentrate resources in selected regional locations.
Officials familiar with the discussions said the changes are intended to improve efficiency and better manage growing visa workloads, although critics warn the move could create additional barriers for travelers from countries that lose processing services.
For many Africans, obtaining a U.S. visa already involves lengthy waiting periods, expensive travel arrangements, and extensive documentation requirements. Any requirement to travel abroad simply to attend a visa interview could add high costs for students, businesspeople, tourists, and families.
The proposal comes at a time when demand for U.S. visas remains high across Africa, particularly among students seeking educational opportunities, entrepreneurs pursuing business partnerships, and families applying for visitor visas.
Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, and Dar es Salaam’s inclusion among the 20 proposed regional hubs means East Africa would retain its position as one of the continent’s key U.S. visa processing centers. The decision could potentially increase the number of applicants traveling to East African countries from neighboring countries if nearby missions lose their visa-processing authority.
The State Department has not yet publicly announced a final decision, and officials cautioned that discussions remain ongoing. However, documents reviewed by AP suggest the restructuring could begin within weeks if approved.
The proposal has already attracted attention among immigration lawyers, travel consultants, and education agencies across Africa, many of whom are awaiting clarification on how the changes would affect visa appointment availability and processing times.
No official timeline has yet been released regarding when individual embassies and consulates would stop accepting visa applications if the plan moves forward.
