The Scoop
The US embassy in Zimbabwe is pausing all routine visa operations beginning Thursday, according to a memo sent by the State Department and viewed by Semafor.
The pause, described as “temporary,” will affect applications for a host of visas, including immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant tourist, business traveler, student, and exchange visitor visas.
“The Administration is always working to prevent visa overstay and misuse,” a senior State Department official said.
The official pointed to Zimbabwe’s B1 and B2 visa overstay rate of 10.57%, which is equivalent to 709 Zimbabweans. Overstay rates for those on student visas is also a concern — as is Zimbabwe not agreeing to a so-called safe third country or third country national agreement that would permit asylum seekers to pursue their claim from a nation they previously traveled to, according to the official.
The Trump administration has reportedly pressured African countries to accept deported non-national migrants. So far only Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan have publicly agreed to such an arrangement.
The pause will not impact already existing valid visas, according to the memo, and some applications — including official and C-3 diplomatic visas — will continue to be processed.
Know More
In June, the Trump administration reimposed a travel ban that affects 19 countries, citing poor passport vetting procedures and a high number of citizens overstaying visas in the US.
The administration has considered expanding that travel ban: An internal memo sent out that same month gave Zimbabwe and other nations 60 days to comply with various requirements laid out by the administration, The Washington Post reported at the time.
Wednesday’s announcement comes just after the administration unveiled a new pilot program that will require US visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia to pay bonds of up to $15,000. That program will be implemented later this month; it’s part of the administration’s push to deter people from overstaying their visas.
Notable
A report found that almost 60% of students from African countries who applied to study at US universities were denied the necessary F-1 visas in 2023, Semafor reported last year.
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