Tanzania, U.S. Agree to Revisit Visa Restrictions
Dar es Salaam — TANZANIA and the United States have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership, with both sides agreeing to revisit Tanzania’s requests regarding visa restrictions affecting Tanzanians travelling to the United States.
The agreement was reached during talks in Dar es Salaam that brought together Minister for Defence and National Service, Dr Rhimo Nyansaho, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, and an 11-member United States congressional delegation led by Congressman Ronny Jackson, Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the discussions focused on priority areas of Tanzania-US relations, including trade, investment, defence and security cooperation, as well as peace and stability in East and Central Africa.
Both sides expressed commitment to expanding cooperation in trade and investment, particularly in strategic sectors such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), critical minerals, aviation, defence and security. During the talks, Tanzania also underscored the importance of strengthening people-to-people relations by seeking the removal of visa restrictions affecting Tanzanians travelling to the United States, alongside other measures previously imposed on the country.
The American delegation commended Tanzania for its contribution to regional peace and security, including its efforts to combat terrorism and participation in peace support operations across Africa.
According to the ministry, the two sides agreed to continue strengthening strategic cooperation in areas of mutual interest and to revisit all requests formally submitted by Tanzania regarding the restrictions, while also agreeing to hold follow-up meetings.
The ministry described the meeting as a major success as an initial step in advancing discussions between the two countries.
The latest engagement follows a series of US measures introduced over the past year affecting Tanzanian travellers. In October 2025, Tanzania was included in a US visa bond pilot programme requiring eligible applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas to pay a refundable bond of between 5,000 US dollars and 15,000 US dollars before travelling.
The measures were expanded in December 2025 when the United States announced additional entry restrictions on Tanzania, citing concerns over visa overstay rates among Tanzanian nationals. In response, the government said it would continue pursuing diplomatic engagement with Washington while urging citizens to comply with US immigration requirements.
This week’s meeting marks the first formal indication that both countries are prepared to continue discussions on Tanzania’s requests regarding the restrictions while broadening cooperation in other strategic areas.
By Daily News.
