Washington’s Visa Hub Overhaul Makes East Africans Pay for “efficiency”

Effective from 1 August 2026, the United States State Department will consolidate routine visa services from 25 African embassies to 20 regional hubs. The hubs will include Nairobi, Kampala, Addis Ababa, Kigali, and Dar es Salaam in East Africa. This shift aims to standardise screening, vetting, and adjudication procedures while enhancing operational efficiency, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Non-hub embassies and consulates will continue operating for diplomatic and emergency matters, but everyday visa interviews will be centralised. East African citizens will face higher costs and additional travel requirements as they relocate from 25 current posts to 20 designated hubs. Eritrean nonimmigrant visa applicants will now attend interviews in Kampala, while immigrant visa processing remains in Nairobi.

The visa-bond programme, now permanent, will require bonds of up to US$20,000 for passport holders from 50 countries, primarily in Africa. This additional financial burden further strains East African businesses, professionals, and students, potentially limiting travel for trade fairs, academic exchanges, and investment roadshows.

Critics argue that the reform is a fee-shifting mechanism that externalises costs onto African applicants and governments. As the United States becomes harder to access, other powers such as the European Union, Gulf states, China, Turkey, and regional African hubs may gain reputational advantages, potentially reshaping U.S.-Africa relations and intensifying competition for African talent and markets.