US Cuts Africa Visa Processing Centres To 20, Lagos Emerges Key Regional Hub

The United States government is set to drastically reduce the number of its embassies and consulates across Africa handling visa applications, trimming the current network of nearly 50 processing locations to just 20 regional hubs, a move that could significantly alter how millions of Africans apply for entry into the country.

Under the new arrangement, Lagos has emerged as Nigeria’s sole visa-processing hub and one of only 20 centres across the continent authorised to handle full visa services, positioning the city as a critical gateway for applicants seeking to travel to the United States.

The restructuring, first reported by the Associated Press, was communicated to US diplomats, including consular chiefs, during a conference call last Friday and is expected to take effect in June, although a specific implementation date has yet to be announced. The directive was approved last week by Marco Rubio, according to US officials familiar with the matter and an internal State Department memo.

According to the memo, the 20 visa-processing hubs will be located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lomé, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The move forms part of the administration of Donald Trump’s broader effort to tighten immigration controls, reduce visa overstays and strengthen scrutiny of both immigrant and non-immigrant visa applications. The administration has also reduced staffing levels at diplomatic missions worldwide as part of a wider review of overseas operations.

For Nigeria, the decision elevates Lagos’ strategic importance within the US consular network in Africa. However, for applicants in countries that lose full visa-processing status, the policy is expected to create additional hurdles, including increased travel costs, longer waiting periods and the need to cross international borders to complete visa applications.

The latest development comes roughly six months after the Trump administration recalled ambassadors from more than two dozen countries, including Nigeria, with African nations accounting for the largest share of those affected. It also follows a series of immigration-related measures introduced by Washington in recent months.

Some African nationals, including Nigerians, already face the possibility of paying visa bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for certain visitor visas, while a number of African countries remain subject to varying levels of US travel restrictions.

Despite the reduction in visa-processing centres, US diplomatic missions that lose full visa services will remain operational. According to the State Department memo, they will continue to provide assistance to American citizens, including passport renewals, emergency consular services, diplomatic visa processing and selected cases deemed to be in the national interest of the United States.

The US State Department said it regularly evaluates its overseas operations to ensure resources are deployed efficiently and in line with American national interests, adding that visa processing must continue to meet rigorous security screening and vetting standards.

المصدر: Leadership (Nigeria)