The United States government is planning a major overhaul of its visa-processing system in Africa, reducing the number of embassies handling applications from nearly 50 to about 20. The move is expected to significantly reshape how African travellers access U.S. visa services.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the decision was communicated to American diplomats and consular officials during a conference call last Friday. The directive has reportedly been approved by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with implementation expected as early as June, although no official start date has been confirmed.

Under the new structure, only selected cities will serve as regional visa-processing hubs. Nairobi is among those chosen, meaning Kenya will play a central role in handling visa applications from neighbouring countries once the changes take effect.

Other designated hubs include Accra, Addis Ababa, Abidjan, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Kampala, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lome, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Port Louis, Praia, Djibouti City, and Yaoundé.

The restructuring means applicants in countries that lose visa-processing functions will likely need to travel to these hubs for interviews, document submissions, and other immigration procedures. This is expected to increase travel expenses, processing delays, and logistical challenges for many African applicants, particularly those in distant or landlocked regions.

Although visa processing will be centralised, affected embassies will remain open. Their roles will be limited mainly to assisting American citizens, including emergency services, passport renewals, and select diplomatic visa matters.

The changes are part of broader immigration tightening measures under President Donald Trump, aimed at strengthening screening processes and reducing migration flows into the United States. Critics, however, argue that the policy could make legal travel more difficult and costly for ordinary African applicants seeking entry into the U.S.