Education Advocates Fight High US Visa Denials for African Students

Key Highlights:

• The US Education and Immigration advocates are troubled by the high rate of US visa denials for African students.
• In 2023, more students from Africa received visas to study in the US than ever before, a 61% increase over 2019.
• EducationalUSA is making efforts to promote US higher education in Africa actively.

Education and Immigration advocates are raising concerns about high visa denial rates for African students seeking to study in the United States. This situation calls for changes to the visa adjudication process. According to a report by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration released in July 2023, Africa has experienced the highest levels of disproportionate visa refusals compared to regions such as the Middle East and South America. 

Fanta Aw, Executive Director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, expressed concern over the data, stating, “Whenever we see that sort of data for any country, let alone a region of the world, it gives us pause.” NAFSA and other institutions have met with US State Department officials to discuss visa adjudication changes, with further meetings planned in the coming months.

According to US student visa news, data from 2022 and 2023 reveal that half of the students from African countries were denied student visas in 2022, with rates continuing in 2023. Ethiopian students faced a 78% denial rate, followed by Nigeria at 75%, Kenya at 74%, Congo at 69%, Ghana at 63%, Zimbabwe at 47%, and South Africa at 17%.

Aw emphasized the need for an investigation into the root causes of these high denial rates. She added, “There needs to be assurance that consular officers on the ground are fully trained in the way they make determinations around this, that there is consistency in that. We need more visa appointment slots because with demand, if people are not even able to get a visa appointment, and when they get the US visa rejection is this high, you can imagine the compounding effect of that.” She also stressed that other countries like China and India are actively recruiting in Africa, leading to a loss of talent for the United States, highlighted the US student visa news.

In response, US officials stated that international students are a top priority and that all US student visa applications are processed based on individual merits and US immigration law. The State Department mentioned that EducationUSA is actively promoting US higher education in Africa to address the issue. 

While recognizing efforts to improve visa adjudications, Aw emphasized the need for further progress. She praised the State Department’s decision to waive in-person interviews for student visa renewals but noted that it is still at the discretion of consular affairs officials.

In 2023, more African students received visas to study in the US than ever before, with a 61% increase compared to 2019. Some congressional leaders have urged greater attention to equity in student exchange programs and visa adjudication in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, emphasizing the importance of these programs for diplomacy and the economy. The next report on international student visa issuance and denials is expected in October 2024.

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