The United States government is set to significantly reduce visa-processing operations across Africa, a move that could affect thousands of travellers, students, businesspeople, and immigrants seeking entry into the country.
Under a new policy reportedly directed by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, visa services will be consolidated into just 20 designated hubs across the continent, down from more than 50 embassies and consulates currently handling visa applications.
For Nigeria, the proposed changes mean that visa-processing operations in Abuja may be suspended, leaving the US Consulate in Lagos as the country’s sole visa-processing centre.
According to reports, the policy is aimed at reallocating resources to align with US national interests while maintaining strict security screening and vetting standards for visa applicants.
Although an official implementation date has not been announced, the changes are expected to take effect in the coming weeks, with American diplomatic missions across Africa already instructed to begin scaling back consular operations.
The restructuring will require visa applicants in many African countries to travel to one of the designated regional hubs to complete their applications.
The 20 centres expected to remain operational include Lagos, Accra, Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia, and Yaoundé.
While consular offices in non-hub locations will remain open, their services will be limited primarily to assistance for US citizens, diplomatic visas, passport renewals, and special national-interest cases.
The development marks another step in the broader immigration reforms being pursued by the administration of Donald Trump. Recent measures have included tighter visa restrictions, new residency application requirements, and additional financial obligations for certain visa applicants.
Observers say the latest policy could increase travel costs, lengthen waiting times, and create additional hurdles for Africans seeking US visas, particularly in countries that will no longer host full visa-processing services.
For Nigerian applicants, the concentration of visa services in Lagos is expected to place additional pressure on the already busy consulate while requiring applicants from other regions of the country to travel farther to complete their visa processes.
The policy has sparked concerns among travellers and immigration stakeholders, who fear it may further restrict access to US visas and complicate travel arrangements for Africans seeking educational, business, and family opportunities in the United States.
