The United States has suspended all routine visa services at its embassy in Harare beginning Thursday, citing high overstay rates by Zimbabwean nationals. This development was confirmed in a memo sent by the U.S. State Department and viewed by Semafor.
The temporary pause affects both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories, including tourist (B1/B2), student, business traveler, and exchange visitor visas. However, the embassy will continue to process official and diplomatic (C-3) visas. Individuals who already possess valid U.S. visas or green cards are not impacted by the suspension and may continue to travel.
According to a senior State Department official, the decision is part of ongoing efforts by the U.S. government to reduce visa misuse and prevent overstays. Recent data shows that 10.57% of Zimbabwean nationals who entered the U.S. on B1 and B2 visas in 2023 overstayed their permitted time. This percentage translates to approximately 709 individuals.
Student visa overstay rates were also cited as a concern by U.S. officials. In addition, the lack of a formal agreement with Zimbabwe to return non-citizens who pass through the country on their way to the U.S. known as a third-country national agreement contributed to the decision to halt processing.
Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono reported that the U.S. Embassy in Harare received the instruction to pause consular operations overnight from Washington. “This means there will be no visa appointments or interviews during this period at the American embassy in Harare until further notice,” he said. Embassy staff are reportedly awaiting further instructions.
Travelers who are applying for visas from outside Zimbabwe are not affected by the suspension. Only applications made within Zimbabwe have been paused.
This move follows a broader immigration policy shift by the Trump administration. In June, the White House reinstated a travel ban affecting 19 countries over concerns about passport vetting and visa overstays. Zimbabwe was among several countries given 60 days to comply with new administrative requirements, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Earlier this week, the U.S. also launched a pilot program targeting Malawi and Zambia that will require certain visa applicants to pay a refundable bond of up to US$15,000. The decision was based on similarly high overstay rates Malawi at 14.3% and Zambia at 10.5%. While Zimbabwe has not yet been included in that program, the embassy pause appears to be a direct response to its comparable figures.
The embassy has not announced how long the pause will last. In the meantime, Zimbabweans hoping to visit, study, or do business in the United States will need to delay their plans or seek alternative application routes outside the country.
