The United States has temporarily paused most routine visa processing in Zimbabwe, according to a State Department memo.
The suspension, which took effect Thursday, affects both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories, including tourist, business, student, and exchange visitor visas.
“The administration is always working to prevent visa overstay and misuse,” a senior State Department official said, noting Zimbabwe’s B1 and B2 visa overstay rate of 10.57%, which equates to 709 individuals.
The official also raised concerns about student visa overstays and Zimbabwe’s refusal to sign a “safe third country” agreement that would allow asylum seekers to apply from countries they transited through.
While the suspension halts most visa categories, applications for official and C-3 diplomatic visas will continue to be processed. Existing valid visas remain unaffected.
The move follows the Trump administration’s reinstatement in June of a travel ban affecting 19 countries. The ban targets nations with what the U.S. describes as poor passport vetting systems and high rates of visa overstays.
An internal memo reported by The Washington Post in June gave Zimbabwe and several other countries 60 days to meet compliance benchmarks or face further restrictions.
The announcement also comes days after the U.S. unveiled a pilot program requiring visa applicants from Malawi and Zambia to pay refundable bonds of up to US$15,000, in a bid to curb overstays.
To date, only Eswatini, Rwanda, and South Sudan have publicly agreed to accept deported third-country migrants under the U.S.-proposed arrangement.
NewZwire