Thousands of African Travelers Face Unprecedented Delays in Obtaining US Visas as Holiday Season Approaches
Thousands of African travelers are facing unprecedented delays in obtaining US visas, as the holiday season approaches. Citizens from ten countries — Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Morocco, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Egypt — are sometimes waiting several months, or even up to two years, to get an appointment at US embassies and consulates.
According to Travel and Tour World, US embassies in West, East, and Southern Africa are experiencing post-pandemic backlogs, exacerbated by staffing shortages and stricter documentation requirements.
In Nigeria, the consulates in Lagos and Abuja have recorded historic delays, with cases of visa revocations without notice, even affecting prominent figures like Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. In Ghana, appointments can stretch up to two years, despite a recent extension of validity for B1/B2 and F1 visas.
In Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, the situation has worsened with the suspension of routine visa services and repeated cancellations of interviews, while in Morocco, enhanced screenings and procedural changes have lengthened processing times. Other affected countries, including Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Egypt, are facing prolonged wait times and limited appointments, showing that the problem is systemic across the continent.
