US, Malawi discuss visa issues

Malawi Government and the US have said they are discussing ways to address visa overstays which resulted in President Donald Trump imposing partial entry limits on nationals from 15 countries, including Malawi.

US Embassy public affairs officer Grant Philipp said in a written response on Wednesday that the joint US Embassy and Malawi Government immigration working group has met several times since June 2025.

But he could not divulge details on the specific engagements that have taken place since then and how far the two countries have gone to address concerns raised by the US.

Said Phillip: “The working group was established to address screening and vetting deficiencies, address overstay rates for Malawian citizens and cooperate on issues of mutual concern.

“In addition to the working group, the embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation meet regularly on topics of bilateral interest.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesperson Charles Nkhalamba said the engagements are aimed at understanding the reasons behind the imposed visa restrictions.

He said the working group is exploring ways to cooperate and reduce irregular migration, manage travel documents, information sharing and ensure compliance with the necessary immigration requirements.

Last year, the US Government said in its Overstay Report that Malawi had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 22.45 percent and an F, M and J visa overstay rate of 31.99 percent.

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