WASHINGTON:The State Department plans to drastically reduce the number of US embassies and consulates in Africa that can process visas for foreigners seeking to come to the United States.
The nearly 50 US embassies and consulates processing visa applications will be reduced to 20 in the coming weeks, according to three US officials and an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. There is no set date yet for the change, but it is expected in June, according to the officials, who were not authorized to comment to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance as part of its broader goal to limit immigration to the US and crack down on those who travel on temporary visas but then overstay. The administration has also reduced staffing at embassies and consulates around the world.
In a conference call last Friday, US diplomats, including consular chiefs, were told that the US would scale back its visa services across Africa, according to one of the officials who was on the call.
Under a directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will scale back consular operations in all but 20 “hubs” in Africa, according to officials and the memo.
Visa processing in Africa has already been affected by a travel ban to certain countries, as well as a requirement for applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 in order to apply, and more recently by restrictions caused by the Ebola outbreak.
The new rules mean that a citizen of a non-hub country will have to travel to one of the 20 approved countries, which can present significant travel challenges and costs.
