US Embassy Suspends Visa Issuance In Zimbabwe

The US Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe has suspended visa issuance in Zimbabwe without giving any specific reason for doing so.

According to the Embassy, it has stopped the processing of most visas until further notice.

The Embassy cited unspecified concerns with the Zimbabwean government for the suspension of the visa issuance.

It says in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “We have paused routine visa services in Harare while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe.”

The Embassy however clarified that the suspension was not a travel ban.

The suspension of the processing of visas took effect on August 7, according to a notice on the U.S. State Department’s website, which said it applied to all visa services with the exception of most diplomatic and official visas.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has restricted travel from a number of African countries, saying it is working to prevent visa overstaying and misuse.
Zimbabwe had a visa overstay rate of 10.57% in 2023, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report.
Starting this week, the U.S. will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some visitor visas. The Trump administration has also paused visa processing in Niger.
Harare resident Angella Chirombo said her 18-year-old son had received a scholarship to do his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and had been waiting for a visa interview when the pause hit.
“He was supposed to be in school already. I paid for everything else and was waiting for the visa so I could buy tickets,” she told Reuters.
She said other parents were considering booking interviews at other U.S. embassies in Southern Africa, but that she wouldn’t be able to afford the travel.
“Now they are saying we can go to Zambia and Namibia. I don’t even have money right now and I don’t know where to get this money. They are so many students that have been affected.”

Source:Africa Publicity