US visa curbs put African Miss Universe contestants in limbo

Several African beauty queens are facing uncertainty over their participation in the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico as US visa restrictions threaten to prevent them from travelling.

Miss Universe Zimbabwe Roseanna Hall is among the contestants struggling to secure permission to enter the US territory. The 75th edition of the pageant is scheduled to conclude with the crowning ceremony on November 24.

Hall has yet to receive her visa despite repeated efforts to obtain approval. In a video shared on Instagram, she said she had been working to resolve the issue and was still hoping to reach Puerto Rico in time for the competition.

The Zimbabwean contestant said she was originally due to travel on November 8, when contestants began arriving for registration, fittings and other pre-pageant activities. However, the visa delay has left her participation uncertain.

Hall is not the only African representative affected by the restrictions. Zambia has withdrawn its contestant, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of difficulties linked to US travel rules.

Mubanga, a 25-year-old registered nurse, won the Miss Universe Zambia title on October 8 and was preparing to represent her country at the international event.

The Zambian Miss Universe organisation said her withdrawal was directly linked to US travel restrictions rather than personal visa issues, documentation problems or organisational shortcomings.

It also indicated that contestants from five other African countries were facing similar difficulties, although it did not identify them.

Miss Universe South Sudan has also expressed uncertainty about whether its representative will be able to participate. Responding to Hall’s video, the contestant said her chances of reaching the competition remained uncertain.

Hall said she understood the difficulties faced by other African contestants, adding that she had spent several weeks in South Africa trying to secure her travel documents. She stressed that she was not alone in the situation and hoped the issue would be resolved before the pageant.

The visa difficulties are linked to US Presidential Proclamation 10998, which introduced partial travel restrictions affecting 19 countries, including Zimbabwe. The measures took effect on January 1, 2026, and suspend the issuance of several categories of visas, including visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas, to nationals of affected countries.

The restrictions also impose limitations on other non-immigrant visa categories.