US visa freeze threatens global mobility for African founders
A new US visa freeze is set to disrupt travel for citizens of 75 countries, including several across Africa, raising concerns about the knock-on effects for startup founders, investors, and business leaders who rely on global mobility.
According to Fox News, the US State Department will suspend visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning January 21. African nations affected include Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Algeria, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among others.
The directive reportedly instructs US consular officers to deny visa applications under existing legal provisions while the State Department conducts a review of its screening and vetting procedures.
A State Department spokesperson said the move is aimed at preventing individuals deemed likely to become a public charge from entering the United States.
The pause effectively halts new visa issuances from the affected countries while immigration processing rules are reassessed.
Beyond immigration, the decision could have far-reaching consequences for Africa’s tech and startup ecosystem. Founders from countries like Nigeria and Egypt frequently travel to the US for investor meetings, accelerator programmes, demo days, conferences, and fundraising roadshows. With global venture capital already tightening, restricted access to US markets risks further isolating African startups from key funding and partnership opportunities.
For early-stage founders, the timing is particularly brutal. Many rely on short-term business visas to close deals, pitch to US-based investors, or participate in accelerator cohorts that still operate primarily in person. A prolonged freeze could delay funding rounds, derail expansion plans, and push more African startups to pivot their fundraising focus toward Europe, the Middle East, or Asia.
The suspension also follows closely on another restrictive move. Just a week earlier, the US announced a proposed visa bond programme that could require applicants from more than 20 African countries to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000 for short-term business or tourist visas. Nigeria was among the countries listed.
Taken together, the visa freeze and proposed bond requirement signal a harder US stance on mobility from parts of Africa. For founders building globally from the continent, the message is clear: access to the US is becoming more expensive, more uncertain, and less reliable.
In the near term, African startups may be forced to rethink how they engage US investors, leaning more heavily on remote fundraising, offshore structures, or alternative markets. Long term, the risk is structural: reduced exposure to US capital, networks, and customers could slow the pace at which African companies scale globally.
For an ecosystem that already operates at a disadvantage, the latest visa restrictions add another friction point, one that goes beyond policy and straight into the mechanics of building global businesses from Africa.
