US President Donald Trump, who enjoys significant support among some Malawians and other Africans, plans to drastically reduce the number of embassies and consulates processing visa applications across Africa.
The move could make it harder, slower and more expensive for Malawians seeking to travel to the United States for study, business, tourism or family visits.
According to reports, the US State Department plans to cut the number of African diplomatic missions handling visa applications from nearly 50 to about 20 regional hubs.
Under a directive approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week, the State Department will reduce consular operations in all but 20 visa-processing hubs across Africa.
The proposed 60 percent reduction could force applicants in some countries to travel to regional centres in countries such as South Africa, Kenya or Ghana to complete parts of the visa process, potentially increasing costs and waiting times.
US officials say the changes are part of a broader effort to align diplomatic resources with America’s priorities while maintaining security screening and vetting standards.
If implemented, the changes would represent one of the biggest overhauls of US visa processing operations in Africa in recent years and could affect thousands of Africans seeking entry into the United States each year.
The State Department did not directly address details contained in the memo but defended the planned changes as part of a broader effort to align diplomatic resources with US priorities.
In a statement, the department said it is “constantly evaluating its overseas operations in order to deploy taxpayer resources in a way that advances America’s priorities as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
According to the State Department, the changes are intended to maintain rigorous visa screening standards while ensuring that resources and operational capacity are aligned with America’s national interests.
The move adds to a growing list of barriers facing Africans seeking to enter the United States. Visa processing has already been affected by travel restrictions on several countries, proposals requiring applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 and other tightening measures introduced under the Trump administration.
The proposed visa overhaul comes months after the Trump administration’s controversial decision to slash funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a move that disrupted health and development programmes across Africa, including Malawi.
Together, the aid cuts and planned visa restructuring signal a broader shift in US engagement with Africa under Trump’s “America First” agenda, with Washington seeking to reduce overseas spending while concentrating resources on what it considers core national interests.
The changes also come amid a broader and increasingly controversial shift in US policy towards Africa.
Rather than traditional aid, the United States is increasingly pursuing transactional partnerships that give Washington greater access to health data and other strategic assets including mining.
In Kenya, a court suspended implementation of a multi-billion-dollar health agreement amid concerns over the transfer and sharing of personal health data. In Zambia, leaked documents revealed proposals linking long-term health financing to extensive data-sharing commitments, prompting accusations of exploitation and raising concerns about national sovereignty.
Malawi has also entered a new health partnership framework with the United States centred on Washington having full access to the country’s public health data.
Against that backdrop, the planned reduction of US visa-processing centres across Africa appears less like an isolated administrative decision and more like another step in a wider recalibration of America’s relationship with the continent.
Critics argue that the pattern reflects a shift away from traditional development assistance towards arrangements that deliver clearer strategic benefits to Washington. Yet despite the growing implications for health systems, data governance and diplomacy across the continent, the African Union has remained largely silent. Likewise, there were no immediate comments from regional blocs such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
