The US State Department will slash the number of visa processing embassies and consulates in Africa from nearly 50 to 20 in the coming weeks, an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press has revealed.
Given Trump’s existing travel ban impacting 29 African nations, the plans were not met with shock among international educators, though they condemned its shortsightedness.
“The US retreat from Africa, while not a surprise, will have major ramifications for years to come in economic, diplomatic and political spheres,” said William Gertz, chairman of the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS).
“But perhaps the greatest loss will be in the talent pool which this continent provides to universities and businesses who want to internationalise.”
“Africa is vibrant and young, and we will miss their citizens greatly,” Gertz added.
According to the leaked details, the directive was approved by secretary of state Marco Rubio last week and includes plans to reduce consular operations in all but 20 “hubs” across the continent.
This means consulates in non-hub countries will have limited services and will not be authorised to grant US visas. Individuals will need to travel to one of the 20 sites, incurring travel costs and challenges.
While not addressing the details of the memo, a State Department spokesperson told The PIE News that it is “constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible”.
They maintained that global operations continue as normal, adding the department would “continue to provide Americans with appropriate consular services and assistance at diplomatic post around the world”.
But as US higher education faces a domestic enrolment cliff and continues to lose popularity as a global study destination, critics say the plans are yet another of example of a government “out of touch”.
Simisola Smith, West Africa associate director at Grok Global, said the development would likely compound existing concerns around visas and policy uncertainty, but that demand for US education remained “significant”.
“The encouraging point it that demand has not disappeared,” she said. “The issue is less about a lack of demand and more about increasing friction and reduced confidence.”
Meanwhile, NAFSA deputy executive director of public policy, Jill Allen Murray said she was “alarmed” by the proposed reductions and “deeply concerned” about the additional barriers it would create.
“Visa appointment availability, processing delays and high denial rates were already serious obstacles for talented students from the continent,” she said, highlighting the travel ban already in place.
“Closing the door to African youth is especially shortsighted given a stark demographic reality: global population growth is expected to slow over the rest of the century everywhere except Africa,” said Allen Murray.
Elsewhere, experts have said that as the US retreats, other destinations are investing in relationships across Africa, in particular America’s competitors.
Strikingly, the China FOCAC flagship cooperation framework with the continent saw President Xi pledge 50,000 scholarships plus 50,000 training opportunities for African students, “dwarfing anything the US, UK, or France put on the table”, said Sunrise International founder and China expert David Weeks.
What’s more, Beijing recently committed another 60,000 training opportunities in its 2025-2027 action plan. “So the scoreboard is pretty clear”, Weeks added.
“If you’re a top physics student in Zambia right now, the US won’t give you a visa. China will give you a scholarship.”
The move is part of the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown, which has seen considerable staffing reductions at global consulates and enhanced vetting measures, leading to worsening delays in US visa processing.
As per federal data updated last month, students applying for a visa interview in Accra, Ghana, or Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, must wait 2.5 and four months respectively for an appointment.
While both of these consulates are reportedly among the 20 hubs to remain open, Tanzania is currently subject to partial restrictions under America’s expanded travel ban, barring Tanzanian students from entering the US.
If you’re a top physics student in Zambia right now, the US won’t give you a visa. China will give you a scholarship.
David Weeks, Sunrise International
Deby Okoh, Africa regional manager at Brunel University in the UK, said that African students’ “trust erosion” in the US had grown over recent years due to visa delays, immigration rhetoric and accessibility concerns, and that rebuilding confidence in the destination would take time.
While the UK is facing its own immigration policy challenges, Okoh said UK institutions “continue to invest actively across Africa through partnerships, recruitment activities, scholarships and regional engagement”.
“Compared to the US, the UK currently appears more visibly engaged within the region and more student centric (though that’s debatable),” she said.
Smith reiterated the need for US institutions to maintain strong African engagement, particularly with parents and counsellors who play a large role in student decision making. She highlighted to the fact the UK’s engagement in Africa remains “tangible and active” during market uncertainty.
What’s more, experts emphasised the diversity across the continent which shouldn’t be viewed as a single market.
Meanwhile in the US, a coalition of sector bodies have urged the State Department to exempt international students from Trump’s travel ban – initially implemented in June 2025 and expanded later that year to include 40 nations and territories.
Notably, the expanded ban includes Nigeria, America’s eighth largest cohort of international students, with Open Doors data revealing more than 21,000 Nigerian students at US colleges in 2024/25.
According to the recent memo, the 20 hubs to remain open for all 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; Lome, Togo; Luanda, Angola; Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; Monrovia, Liberia; Nairobi, Kenya; Port Louis, Mauritius; Praia, Cape Verde; and Yaounde, Cameroon.
