Ministry of Foreign Affairs has highlighted the tendency to overstay in the US and use of forged documents in visa applications as major threats to future issuance of American visas to Malawians.
The issues emerged during discussions between Malawi Government and US to enhance cooperation on immigration, consular and security matters. The US had put Malawi among countries at risk of a travel ban.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, the ministry’s spokesperson Charles Nkhalamba said issues of concern to US authorities were that some people lie on their visa applications about their reasons for travel, use fake documents and overstay in the US.
“These issues are having consequences on the country and other people with applications that meet standards,” he said.
In a separate statement yesterday, the ministry appealed to Malawians seeking US visas to ensure that all documentation is authentic and accurately reflects the purpose of their travel.
“Any attempts to circumvent procedures risk denial of visa issuance and long-term consequences for both the individual and the country,” reads the statement.
The ministry also said it was working with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies to ensure that visa applications comply with international regulations and are accurate.
Meanwhile, the ministry said dialogue between Malawi and the US remained open and constructive with both governments committed to deepening trust and transparency in processing documents such as passports.
The statement comes three weeks after a memo from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to US diplomats named Malawi among 36 countries that USA President Donald Trump is considering for visa bans or other travel restrictions if they fail to adhere to set requirements.
The Washington Post newspaper reported in June that the countries facing potential bans were given 60 days to meet the requirements.
US Embassy public affairs officer Grant Phillipp told The Nation on June 16 that the pending travel ban targeting 36 countries is part of USA’s efforts to ensure that foreign nationals adhere to that country’s laws.
The list of countries at risk of travel ban included Malawi’s neighbours Tanzania and Zambia as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Angola, Uganda, Zimbabwe and 17 other African countries.
