The United States has announced plans to reduce the number of its embassies in Africa authorized to receive, process, and issue visa applications, in a move aimed at consolidating consular services across the continent.
According to reports by the Associated Press, the U.S. Department of State will scale down visa-processing posts in Africa from 50 to 20, leaving only selected embassies with full consular authority.
The U.S. Embassy in Kigali is among the 20 missions that will retain the mandate to handle visa applications, processing, and issuance.
The decision is expected to take effect in the coming days, although an exact implementation date has not yet been announced.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the policy direction, stating that visa services in Africa would continue but would be centralized in fewer diplomatic missions.
The move forms part of a broader immigration policy shift under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has sought to tighten visa regulations for both immigrant and short-term travel categories.
The administration has also stepped up efforts to address visa overstays and strengthen enforcement mechanisms for temporary entry permits.
The 20 African cities that will continue handling U.S. visa applications include Kigali, Kampala, Kinshasa, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.
