The announcement marks the newest restriction imposed by the Trump administration on travellers from Africa.
The US has introduced a pause on all routine visa purposes for residents of Zimbabwe.
The State Division stated in a press release on Thursday that the US embassy in Zimbabwe would pause all routine visa companies ranging from Friday “whereas we deal with issues with the Authorities of Zimbabwe”.
The embassy described the measure as non permanent and a part of the Trump administration’s efforts to “forestall visa overstay and misuse”.
Most diplomatic and official visas can be exempt from the pause, the US stated.
The US has enforced new journey restrictions on residents from a number of African international locations underneath President Donald Trump’s broader immigration enforcement insurance policies.
In June, the US put in place journey bans on residents from 12 international locations, seven of them in Africa.
It elevated restrictions on seven different nations, three of them African.
The US has additionally demanded that 36 international locations, the vast majority of them in Africa, enhance their vetting of travellers or face a ban on their residents visiting the US.
Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia have been all on that listing of 36 international locations requested to enhance their residents’ journey documentation and take steps to handle the standing of their nationals who’re within the US illegally.
“The Trump Administration is defending our nation and our residents by upholding the best requirements of nationwide safety and public security by means of our visa course of,” the US State Division stated on Thursday.
The announcement got here days after the US unveiled a pilot undertaking requiring residents of two different African international locations, Malawi and Zambia, to pay a bond of as much as $15,000 for vacationer or enterprise visas.
The bond will probably be forfeited if the applicant stays within the US after their visa expires.
The brand new bond coverage introduced on Tuesday requires Malawians and Zambians to pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 as a part of their software for a vacationer or enterprise visa to the US.
Beneath the programme, residents of these international locations should additionally arrive and depart at one among three airports: Boston’s Logan Worldwide Airport, New York’s John F Kennedy Worldwide Airport or Dulles Worldwide Airport close to Washington, DC.
The visa bond pilot programme will begin on August 20, the State Division stated.
