WASHINGTON — The United States is planning to centralise visa processing across Africa in a major restructuring that would significantly reduce the number of embassies and consulates handling visa applications, according to an internal State Department memo cited by US media.
Under the proposed plan, routine visa interviews would be moved away from many individual diplomatic missions and consolidated into a smaller number of regional hubs across the continent.
The restructuring would reportedly cut the number of visa-processing locations from about 50 to roughly 20.
Embassies and consulates would remain operational, but their consular functions would be scaled back and reorganised, with a greater emphasis on regional visa centres.
Routine applications for tourist, student and business visas would no longer be processed in many smaller US missions under the plan.
Instead, applicants would be required to travel to designated regional embassies or consulates to attend visa interviews.
Officials say the objective is to streamline operations and improve efficiency in visa adjudication across high-demand regions.
The proposal is also aimed at reducing backlogs and improving consistency in decision-making across different posts.
US officials familiar with the plan say it is part of a broader effort to modernise global consular services.
They add that increasing demand for US visas worldwide has placed significant pressure on existing embassy systems.
However, the move is expected to create logistical and financial challenges for applicants in countries far from designated processing hubs.
Critics argue that the centralisation could reduce accessibility, particularly for students and low-income applicants who may struggle to travel for interviews.
Diplomatic sources stress that the proposal has not yet been finalised and remains under internal review within the US government.
The U.S. Department of State has not issued a formal public confirmation of the restructuring plan.
If approved, the changes would represent one of the most significant overhauls of US visa processing operations in Africa in recent years.
Analysts say the policy reflects a growing shift toward regionalisation of consular services rather than country-by-country processing.
Despite the changes, US embassies across Africa are expected to continue diplomatic, security, and development cooperation functions.
The proposal comes amid rising global demand for US visas, particularly for education, tourism and professional migration.
