According to an internal State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the number of U.S. diplomatic missions across Africa handling visa applications will drop from nearly 50 down to just 20 regional hubs.
In a major overhaul of United States foreign policy on the continent, the State Department is planning to drastically reduce the number of embassies in Africa authorised to process visas.
According to an internal State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the number of U.S. diplomatic missions across Africa handling visa applications will drop from nearly 50 down to just 20 regional hubs.
The sweeping consolidation, approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is expected to take effect in the coming weeks.
The directive aligns with broader Donald Trump administration initiatives aimed at tightening U.S. immigration enforcement and curbing visa overstays. The reduction in visa services also coincides with a wider, ongoing drawdown of American diplomatic personnel globally.
