US pauses most visa applications from Zimbabwe in another restriction on travelers from Africa

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The United States on Thursday announced a pause on all routine visa applications for citizens of Zimbabwe, the latest restriction on travelers from Africa.

It came days after the U.S. unveiled a pilot project requiring citizens of two other African countries, Malawi and Zambia, to pay a bond of up to $15,000 for tourist or business visas. The bond will be forfeited if the applicant stays in the U.S. after their visa expires.

The State Department said the U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe would pause all routine visa services starting Friday “while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe.”

The embassy described the measure as temporary and part of the Trump administration's efforts to “prevent visa overstay and misuse.” Most diplomatic and official visas would be exempt from the pause, the U.S. said.

The U.S. has enforced new travel restrictions on citizens from several African countries under President Donald Trump's broader immigration enforcement policies.

In June, the U.S. put in place travel bans on citizens from 12 countries, seven of them in Africa. It applied heightened restrictions on seven other nations, three of them African. The U.S. has also demanded that 36 countries, the majority of them in Africa, improve their vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States.

Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia were all on that list of 36 countries asked to improve their citizens’ travel documentation and take steps to address the status of their nationals who are in the U.S. illegally.

“The Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the U.S. State Department said Thursday.

The new bond policy announced Tuesday requires Malawians and Zambians to pay bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or 15,000 as part of their application for a tourist or business visa to the U.S.

Under the program, citizens of those countries must also arrive and depart at one of three airports; Boston’s Logan International Airport, New York's JFK International Airport or Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C.

The visa bond pilot program will start on Aug. 20, the State Department said.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.