US visa restrictions put the participation of African beauty queens in "Miss Universe" at risk

US visa restrictions put the participation of African beauty queens in "Miss Universe" at risk

Zimbabwe's Miss Universe representative, Roseanna Hall, and a number of other African contestants may miss out on participating in this year's pageant in Puerto Rico as they race to obtain US visas.

Hall is scheduled to represent Zimbabwe in the 75th edition of the pageant, the winner of which will be crowned Miss Universe on November 24, but she has not yet obtained a visa that would allow her to travel to the US island.

Hall said, in a video clip she posted on her Instagram page: “We are in a whirlwind of reviews and follow-ups, trying to get approval for my visa.”

Hall is not the only African contestant affected by the restrictions. Zambia withdrew its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition due to US travel restrictions.

The contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8, to complete registration procedures, costume fittings and other pre-competition activities, which increases the pressure on Hall and other contestants, including the South Sudanese representative, to obtain their visas.

“According to the official schedule, I was supposed to leave today for Puerto Rico to participate in the 75th Miss Universe competition,” Hall said.

Zimbabwe is one of 19 countries subject to partial US travel restrictions, imposed under Presidential Proclamation No. 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

These restrictions suspend the issuance of visit, study and exchange visas, as well as immigration visas, to citizens of countries included in the decision.

The organizer of the Miss Universe Zambia contest said in a statement that Mubanga's situation resulted from travel restrictions, not personal circumstances.

“Unlike cases in which a contestant’s visa application is denied for reasons related to her personal circumstances, documentation, or regulatory challenges, Mubanga’s situation is linked to US presidential travel restrictions that include Zambia and other African countries,” the statement read.

Mubanga, 25, a registered nurse, was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on October 8 and was scheduled to represent her country in the international competition.

The statement indicated that five other African countries are facing similar difficulties, without naming them.

Hall said she shared the concerns of the other contestants, adding that she had spent the past few weeks in South Africa trying to obtain her visa.

She added: "I am not alone in this predicament; some of my African sisters are facing the same predicament, and I know exactly what each of them is going through."

The South Sudanese representative in the competition also expressed her uncertainty about her participation, as she commented on Hall’s video, saying: “Our chances of reaching the Miss Universe competition do not exceed 50 percent.”

In another video she posted three days earlier, Hall said she was still hoping to reach Puerto Rico.

She accompanied the video with a caption that said: “The battle to deliver Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues.”

Meanwhile, the Republic of the Congo withdrew its representative, Georgina Kambongo, from the competition. The national organizing body said in a statement that it announces its withdrawal “with deep sadness,” referring to a US travel ban that took effect on June 9, 2025.