African Miss Universe Contestants Face Uncertainty Over US Visa Restrictions

Miss Universe Zimbabwe representative Roseanna Hall and several other African contestants are facing uncertainty over their participation in this year’s competition in Puerto Rico as they struggle to secure visas to travel to the US territory.

Hall is expected to represent Zimbabwe at the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant, where the winner will be crowned on 24 November. However, she has yet to obtain the necessary travel visa.

In a video shared on Instagram, Hall said she had been making repeated attempts to secure approval.

“We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved,” she said.

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 Zambia has withdrawn its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of the US travel measures.

Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on 8 November for registration, fittings and other activities ahead of the final, increasing pressure on Hall and other contestants, including the representative from South Sudan, to obtain their visas in time.

Hall said the day she was supposed to travel had arrived, but her visa situation remained unresolved.

Zimbabwe is among 19 countries affected by partial US travel restrictions introduced under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on 1 January 2026.

The measures suspend the issuance of visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas, to nationals of the affected countries. They also impose restrictions on other categories of non-immigrant visas.

In a statement, the Miss Universe organisation in Zambia said Mubanga’s withdrawal was a result of the wider travel restrictions rather than personal circumstances.

It said her situation was different from cases involving visa refusals caused by individual circumstances, documentation problems or organisational challenges.

Mubanga, 25, is a registered nurse who was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on 8 October. She had been expected to represent the country at the international competition.

The organisation also said five other African countries were experiencing similar difficulties, although it did not identify them.

Hall said she understood the concerns of the affected contestants, explaining that she had spent several weeks in South Africa trying to secure her visa.

She added that she was not alone and expressed solidarity with other African representatives facing the same situation.

The Miss Universe South Sudan representative also raised concerns about her participation, commenting on Hall’s Instagram video that it was uncertain whether they would make it to the competition.

Despite the challenges, Hall has continued to express hope that she will travel to Puerto Rico.

In another video posted three days earlier, she wrote: “The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues.”

The Miss Universe 75th edition final is scheduled to take place at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 24 November.