US visa services for Zimbabweans suspended

The US Embassy in Zimbabwe suspended most visa services in the southern African nation until further notice, while indicating that the move doesn’t constitute an outright travel ban, reports News24. ‘We have paused routine visa services in Harare while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe,’ the embassy said. The issuance of all routine immigrant and non-immigrant visa services will be halted, though most diplomatic and official permits will still be available, according to a statement on its website. The Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Ministry’s spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. US President Donald Trump’s administration has upped the ante in clamping down on visa overstays and misuse across the globe in recent months. In June, it imposed a travel ban on visitors from a dozen countries, half of them in Africa. Earlier this month, the US State Department announced that business travellers and tourists from Malawi and Zambia will have to pay a refundable deposit of as much as $15 000 to secure business or tourist visas, a requirement that went into effect on Wednesday.

Full News24 report