The United States has announced a pause on all routine visa applications for citizens of Zimbabwe, effective immediately. The US embassy in Zimbabwe stated that the measure is temporary and part of the Trump administration’s efforts to “prevent visa overstay and misuse”. Most diplomatic and official visas will be exempt from the pause.
The US State Department emphasized that “the Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process”. This move is the latest restriction imposed by the Trump administration on travelers from Africa. In June, the US put in place travel bans on citizens from 12 countries, seven of them in Africa, and increased restrictions on seven other nations, three of them African.
The announcement comes days after the US unveiled a pilot project requiring citizens of two other African countries, Malawi and Zambia, to pay a bond of up to $15,000 for tourist or business visas. The bond will be forfeited if the applicant stays in the US after their visa expires. The new bond policy requires Malawians and Zambians to pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 as part of their application for a tourist or business visa to the US.
Under the programme, citizens of those countries must also arrive and depart at one of three airports: Boston’s Logan International Airport, New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport, or Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC. The visa bond pilot programme will start on August 20, the State Department said. This move is part of the US’s broader immigration enforcement policies, aimed at preventing visa overstay and misuse.
The US pause on routine visa applications for Zimbabwean citizens reflects a broader trend of tightening immigration controls under the Trump administration. This move is part of a larger effort to enhance national security and public safety by preventing visa overstay and misuse. Notably, the administration has introduced similar restrictions on other African countries, including a visa bond pilot program for Malawi and Zambia.
Under this program, citizens of these countries will be required to pay bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for tourist or business visas, which will be refunded if they comply with visa terms and depart the US on time. The bond policy aims to deter visa overstays and ensure that visitors adhere to the terms of their stay. Critics, however, have denounced the bond scheme as discriminatory and exploitative, arguing that it unfairly targets vulnerable travelers from specific countries.