New visa applicants in Zimbabwe have been hit with disappointing news following Washington's new directive on visa.

The directive was communicated through an official statement shared on August 7 by the U.S. Embassy in Harare.

The statement announced the suspension of tourism (B1/B2 visa), business, studying (F1 visa), visiting family, attending conferences, visas for Zimbabweans, excluding ones for diplomatic and official duties.

“Effective August 7, 2025, U.S. Embassy Harare has temporarily paused all routine visa services. This pause includes applications for immigrant visas as well as nonimmigrant visas for tourists, business travellers, students, exchange visitors, and most other nonimmigrant categories,” parts of the statement read.

However, visas would be made available strictly for official diplomatic or international organisation-related purposes.

“Applications for A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-4, C-2, and C-3 diplomatic and official visas will continue to be processed.”

A-1 For ambassadors, public ministers, career diplomats, and consular officers travelling to the U.S. on official government business. Includes their immediate family members.The A-2 visa is issued for other government officials or employees (e.g., military personnel) travelling on official duty. Also includes their immediate family.

The G-1 is for permanent mission members of a recognised government to a designated international organisation (like the UN), plus their dependents, while the G-2 is issued for representatives of a recognised government attending meetings at an international organisation, and their dependents. The G-4, on the other hand, is issued for individuals appointed to work at an international organisation (e.g., UN staff) and their dependents.

The 'C' visas, which include the C-2 and C-3 categories, are mostly issued to individuals transiting through the U.S. on their way to the United Nations headquarters. These are very limited-use visas, typically granted to foreign government officials, their families, or staff who are passing through the U.S., not staying for official duties. respectively.

The USA explained that this measure has been taken as part of measures to sanitise visa process and ensure national security as well a protect the public.

“The Department of State is committed to ensuring that its visa process upholds the highest standards for U.S. national security and public safety. We are currently reviewing and evaluating existing screening and vetting procedures worldwide,” the statement added.

The United States Embassy in Zimbabwe has said it is suspending routine visa services. The embassy cited national security and public safety concerns.

The statement, however, clarified that individuals who already hold US visas are not affected by the pause.

The Trump-led administration on Monday, June 9, effected an immigration ban on nationals of twelve countries across the world. It noted that these affected nationals will not be able to enter the United States of America (U.S.A).

The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela - will be partially restricted.

This follows a directive issued on Wednesday, June 5, by U.S. President Donald Trump banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States, citing it as a move to protect his country from "foreign terrorists."

The proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves US national interests.

According to Trump, countries that have been subjected to stricter restrictions are known as ones that harbor a "large-scale presence of terrorists," fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers' identities, as well as inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.

The president made the final call on signing the proclamation after the antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, according to a White House official.

He was considering it beforehand, but Sunday’s assault put it into motion faster. The suspect in the attack was an Egyptian national, but Egypt, in a twist of events, was excluded from the travel ban.

This is not the first time Trump has effected such a ban on countries.

During his first term, he issued a travel ban on January 27, 2017, through Executive Order 13769. According to the order, travelers from seven countries with most of their citizens being Muslims could not stay for more than 90 days in the US.

The Muslim countries were Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

He also suspended refugee resettlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely.

His administration justified the ban as a national security measure, arguing that these countries had high risks of terrorism and insufficient vetting procedures. However, the ban faced legal challenges and was revised multiple times before the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a version of it in 2018.

The recent ban has been met with opposition and displeasure, especially from the people expected to be affected by the ban.

Many feel disheartened and unfairly targeted.

Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said he had instructed his government to stop granting visas to U.S. citizens in response to Trump's action.

"Chad has neither plans to offer nor billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and its pride," he said in a Facebook post, referring to countries such as Qatar, which gifted the U.S. a luxury aeroplane for Trump's use and promised to invest billions of dollars in the U.S.

Subsequently, the mass deportation exercise by the Trump-led administration affected some Ghanaians.

In late June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that about 188 Ghanaians were to be deported from the United States (U.S.) and repatriated to Ghana.

Engaging the media on Thursday, June 26, the sector minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, mentioned that the number was made known through an official communication with the U.S. Their deportation follows an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump to deport illegal immigrants.

He added that the government is working to ensure the safe return of the repatriates.

"We have so far been formally notified of 188 Ghanaians on President Trump’s deportation list. Our embassies in New York and Washington are cooperating with U.S. counterparts, and travel certificates are being promptly issued,” Mr Ablakwa said.

Ablakwa assured the government's commitment to providing the affected individuals with the necessary support.“We will be at the airport to welcome our compatriots and ensure they are properly integrated,” he assured.

“This will be done discreetly to protect their dignity, especially since many are returning under distressing circumstances—some without personal belongings or savings”.

On January 26, President Trump initiated a comprehensive immigration enforcement operation, enlisting multiple federal agencies. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), this operation has already resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,000 individuals.