Relief As Ghana Makes the US’s List of 20 Visa Processing Centres in Africa After Major Shake-Up
- The US government has reportedly introduced plans to cut down visa processing locations in Africa from nearly 50 to 20
- Ghana has been confirmed as one of the 20 selected hubs that will continue to process US visas for African applicants
- The new directive is reportedly expected to raise travel costs and logistical challenges for many African visa seekers
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Ghana has received major relieving news after the US announced plans to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic missions that can process visa applications across Africa.
Source: Getty Images
According to a US State Department memo seen by the Associated Press (AP) on Monday, June 1, 2026, 30 embassies and consulates that process visas in Africa are set to be shut down.
As a result, proposed changes would see the number of embassies and consulates handling visa application processing reduced from nearly 50 to 20.
The new policy is reportedly part of President Donald Trump's tough policy on migration into the US and to streamline overseas operations and is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
Which countries will have visa processing centres?
According to the reported US State Department memo, the 20 hubs, including Ghana, expected to retain full visa processing services in Africa after the new changes take effect, are the following:
1. Abidjan, Ivory Coast
2. Accra, Ghana
3. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
4. Cape Town, South Africa
5. Dakar, Senegal
6. Dar-Es-Salam, Tanzania
7. Djibouti, Djibouti
8. Johannesburg, South Africa
9. Kampala, Uganda
10. Kigali, Rwanda
11. Kinshasa, Congo
12. Lagos, Nigeria
13. Lome, Togo
14. Luanda, Angola
15. Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
16. Monrovia, Liberia
17. Nairobi, Kenya
18. Port Louis, Mauritius
19. Praia, Cape Verde
20. Yaounde, Cameroon
What do the new changes mean?
According to the reported memo, the 20 selected diplomatic missions will serve as regional visa processing hubs, while consular offices in the other 30 countries will continue operating with limited services.
As such, individuals searching for immigrant and non-immigrant visas from countries without the outlined processing hubs will be required to travel to any of the 20 selected African countries to complete their applications.
Source: Getty Images
The new visa processing directive is expected to increase travel costs and logistical challenges for many applicants on the continent.
Despite the reported changes, non-hub embassies and consulates in the removed 30 African countries will continue providing assistance to American citizens, including passport services, emergency support, diplomatic visas and certain national interest cases.
The State Department said it regularly evaluates overseas operations to ensure resources are deployed efficiently and in line with US priorities.
The X post detailing the 20 approved US visa processing hub locations in Africa is below:
US issues clarification on green card policy
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US issued clarification on the new green card policy they introduced in a memo on Friday, May 21, 2026.
On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) explained the groups that will be affected by the Trump-led administration's new immigration directive.
Source: YEN.com.gh
