By The State Department is preparing to sharply reduce the number of American diplomatic posts in Africa authorized to process visa applications, consolidating full consular operations into 20 regional hubs across the continent.
Nearly 50 U.S. embassies and consulates currently process visas for travelers and immigrants. Under the new policy, that number will be reduced in the coming weeks, with the changes expected to take effect in June, according to three U.S. officials and an internal department memo. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to The Independent because they were not authorized to discuss the policy publicly.
The restructuring represents the latest step in the Trump administration’s broader effort to tighten control over the country’s immigration system. Since returning to office in January 2025, President Donald Trump has dramatically reduced illegal crossings at the southern border, expanded immigration enforcement inside the United States, and imposed new restrictions on some forms of legal immigration.
The decline in illegal border traffic has been particularly striking. In March 2025, Border Patrol agents apprehended 7,181 migrants crossing the southwest border between ports of entry, a 95 percent decline from the 137,473 apprehensions recorded during the same month one year earlier. By May 2026, the Department of Homeland Security said the Border Patrol had completed a full year without releasing migrants encountered at the southern border into the United States.
The broader decline in immigration may also be historically significant. A January analysis by researchers at the Brookings Institution estimated that net migration fell below zero in 2025, meaning that more people left the United States than entered it. The researchers estimated that net migration ranged from negative 295,000 to negative 10,000 during the year, which would mark the first period of negative net migration in at least half a century.
Other estimates have reached different conclusions. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that net immigration remained positive in 2025, although at a sharply reduced level of roughly 410,000. But the competing analyses point in the same direction: Immigration into the United States has declined substantially during Trump’s second term as the administration has moved to reduce illegal crossings, accelerate removals, encourage voluntary departures, and restrict some pathways for legal entry.
The administration has also framed its immigration crackdown as part of a broader effort to protect American workers. White House officials said last year that native-born employment had increased by more than 2.4 million during the opening months of Trump’s second term, accounting for all net job growth during that period. The claim has been disputed by economists, who caution that changes in federal population estimates complicate comparisons between native-born and foreign-born employment. But the administration’s argument is clear: Reducing illegal immigration is not merely a border-security policy. It is also intended to reduce competition for jobs and strengthen the bargaining position of workers already living in the United States.
The State Department’s planned consolidation of visa processing in Africa extends that effort beyond the southern border. Administration officials have sought to reduce immigration levels while addressing concerns about travelers who enter the United States on temporary visas but remain in the country after their authorization expires. The administration has also reduced staffing at diplomatic missions worldwide.
U.S. diplomats, including consular section chiefs, were informed of the Africa-specific changes during a conference call Friday. A directive approved last week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio will limit full consular operations to 20 designated “hubs,” according to the officials and the internal memo.
Visa processing in Africa has already become more difficult in recent years. Applicants from some countries have faced travel restrictions, while certain visitors have been required to post bonds of up to $15,000. The system has also experienced disruptions linked to the Ebola outbreak.
Under the new policy, citizens of countries without a visa-processing hub will be required to travel to one of the approved locations to submit their applications. Officials acknowledged that the requirement could impose substantial costs and logistical burdens on applicants, particularly those traveling across national borders.
Consular sections at non-hub posts will remain open, but their responsibilities will be limited. Those offices will continue to offer services including passport renewals and emergency assistance for American citizens. They will also handle diplomatic visas and certain cases involving the national interest.
The 20 locations designated for full visa processing are Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Cape Town, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Djibouti, Djibouti; Johannesburg, South Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Kigali, Rwanda; Kinshasa, Congo; Lagos, Nigeria; Lomé, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaoundé, Cameroon.
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