Overview

• A State Department memo orders the US embassy in Harare to halt routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications starting August 8.
• The suspension affects tourist, business, student, exchange visitor and immigrant visa requests but excludes existing valid visas and official or C-3 diplomatic applications.
• Senior officials cited a 10.57% overstay rate among B1/B2 travelers and broader misuse concerns as the rationale for the temporary measure.
• This action complements a bond pilot program for Malawi and Zambia launching August 20 that will require refundable deposits of up to $15,000 to secure departure compliance.
• Zimbabwe remains the only one of 36 vetted countries to refuse a safe third country asylum agreement, unlike Eswatini, Rwanda and South Sudan which have adopted such pacts.