- The US Department of State fully suspended visa issuance to nationals of 12 African countries under a presidential proclamation
- The suspension covers all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories and took effect on January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST
- The move is part of a broader US policy restricting entry for nationals of 39 countries over national security concerns
The United States Department of State has fully suspended visa issuance to nationals of 12 African countries, blocking access to both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which came into force on January 1, 2026.
The proclamation, titled "Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States," affects nationals of 39 countries in total, with 12 of those being African nations.
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The US government said the restrictions are driven by the need to apply rigorous security screening to ensure that visa holders do not pose a risk to national security or public safety.
12 African countries affected by US full suspension
The following African countries are among those whose nationals face a complete ban on visa issuance for all categories:
1. Burkina Faso.
2. Chad.
3. Republic of the Congo.
4. Equatorial Guinea.
5. Eritrea.
6. Libya.
7. Mali.
8. Niger.
9. Sierra Leone.
10. Somalia.
11. South Sudan.
12. Sudan.
US visa suspension: How the suspension came about
The current restrictions build on an earlier order, Presidential Proclamation 10949, which had already suspended entry for nationals of 19 countries.
Proclamation 10998 retained those restrictions and expanded the scope further, taking effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026. Proclamation 10949 remained in force until it was replaced by the newer, broader order.
The US State Department said the suspensions cover all nonimmigrant and immigrant visa categories, meaning the affected nationals cannot obtain tourist, student, work, or residence-based visas under the current rules. The restrictions also apply to individuals travelling on documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.
The policy reflects the US government's position that certain countries have either inadequate identity verification systems, insufficient information-sharing frameworks, or other security-related gaps that make it difficult to conduct reliable background checks on their nationals.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the US had suspended the issuance of visa to 19 countries.
US expands its social media checks
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the US had expanded its social media checks to three more visa categories.
Applicants in all three newly added categories must set their social media accounts to public or open before applying.
This means consular officers will have full visibility into an applicant's online activity as part of the assessment.
Source: Legit.ng