NAIROBI - Nearly 60% of all students from African countries who applied to study at universities in the United States last year were denied the requisite F-1 visa by the State Department, according to a new report. The denial rate for students from Africa was the highest among all regions but the US State Department insists it has in fact granted more visas in aggregate to African students than ever before.

Countries that saw denial rates rise by 10 percentage points or more in 2023 were all located in Africa and Asia. Southern Africa notably recorded a much lower denial rate of 19%, compared to the continent’s overall 57% denial rate. With the exception of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, denial rates for students from Africa have been increasing steadily since 2015, when the overall rate stood at 43%.

The new report was by non-profits Shorelight and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

A State Department spokesperson, however, told University World News that 2023 saw the highest ever number of student and exchange visas issued to African countries in its history and 61% more than pre-pandemic 2019. “Our embassies and consulates in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Eswatini, Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar all issued more student visas in 2023 than in any year in the past two decades,” the spokesperson reportedly said.