According to a report by the Associated Press (AP), the US State Department has approved plans to reduce the number of embassies and consulates handling visa applications in Africa from nearly 50 to just 20 designated processing hubs.
The development, approved by US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, is expected to take effect in June, although officials have yet to announce a specific implementation date.
Major Consolidation Planned
The policy was reportedly communicated to American diplomats and consular officials during a conference call last Friday. Citing officials familiar with the discussions and an internal State Department memo, AP said the restructuring forms part of a broader effort to centralise visa services across the continent.
Under the new arrangement, only 20 embassies and consulates will serve as regional centres for visa processing.
The approved visa-processing hubs are located in:
- Abidjan
- Accra
- Addis Ababa
- Cape Town
- Dakar
- Dar es Salaam
- Djibouti
- Johannesburg
- Kampala
- Kigali
- Kinshasa
- Lagos
- Lome
- Luanda
- Malabo
- Monrovia
- Nairobi
- Port Louis
- Praia
- Yaounde
For Nigeria, the retention of Lagos as one of the designated centres reinforces its position as a key diplomatic and consular hub in West Africa.
What the Changes Mean for African Travellers
The restructuring is expected to have far-reaching implications for visa applicants across the continent.
Under the proposed arrangement, citizens from countries that lose full visa-processing services may be required to travel to one of the 20 designated hubs to complete visa interviews and application procedures.
For many applicants, this could translate into additional travel expenses, accommodation costs, and longer waiting times.
Immigration analysts say the changes may pose particular challenges for travellers from countries with limited air connectivity or those located far from the designated processing centres.
While consular offices in affected countries will remain operational, their responsibilities will be significantly reduced.
According to the AP report, these missions will continue to provide services for American citizens, including passport renewals, emergency consular assistance, diplomatic visas, and selected cases deemed to be in the US national interest.
Part of Broader Immigration Restrictions
The move comes amid a wider tightening of US immigration policies and visa requirements under the administration of President Donald Trump.
The latest development follows the recall of American ambassadors from more than two dozen countries six months ago, with African nations accounting for the largest share of those affected.
At the same time, the US has introduced stricter screening measures for certain categories of travellers. Some African nationals, including Nigerians, already face the possibility of posting visa bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for B1/B2 visitor visas under pilot programmes aimed at reducing visa overstays.
Several African countries also remain subject to varying degrees of US travel restrictions and entry limitations.
Concerns Over Access and Mobility
Observers say the consolidation of visa services could further complicate travel plans for businesspeople, students, tourists, and professionals seeking entry into the United States.
With fewer locations handling visa processing, demand is likely to become concentrated at the designated hubs, potentially increasing appointment backlogs and processing times.
For countries without a visa-processing centre, applicants may need to secure visas for neighbouring countries, arrange international travel, and bear additional logistical costs before they can even attend a US visa interview.
While the State Department has not publicly outlined the full rationale behind the restructuring, the initiative appears to reflect efforts to optimise resources, centralise operations, and tighten oversight of visa issuance across the continent.
Lagos Emerges as Strategic Regional Hub
Amid the changes, Lagos remains one of the continent's most important US consular locations. Its inclusion among the 20 approved centres highlights Nigeria’s strategic significance in US-Africa relations and its role as one of the largest sources of visa applications in sub-Saharan Africa.
As implementation draws closer, travellers and immigration stakeholders across Africa will be watching closely to see how the new system affects visa access, processing times, and mobility between the continent and the United States.