US Embassy Exposes Malawian Officials: Amy Diaz, the Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Malawi, disclosed that the United States (US) has encountered issues regarding the integrity of visa applications from Malawians, noting instances of misuse involving official and diplomatic visas.
Diaz’s comments followed a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought clarification after numerous Malawians, including government personnel, were denied visas to the US.
She pointed out that some Malawian passport holders have overstayed their visas in the US, violating the terms of their entry.
“The diplomatic overstay rate for Malawi is close to 10 percent, which is exceptionally high. Generally, the overstay rate for diplomatic or official passports is one percent or lower.
“This indicates that we are receiving diplomatic communications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting visas for holders of official or diplomatic passports, yet they arrive in the United States, overstay their visas, seek asylum, or work illegally,” Diaz explained.
Concerning the recent visa denials for officials and others intending to attend the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, Diaz stated that the embassy made considerable efforts to process the applications of what she termed the most important government officials for these meetings.
She noted that among the 43 submitted applications, one individual who had attended last year’s Spring Meetings brought two additional travellers, both of whom have not returned.
“One of them has already sought asylum, while the other appears to be in the process of doing so. These are significant situations,” Diaz remarked.
She added that when the embassy cannot trust the integrity of the diplomatic communications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it must exercise extreme caution in visa processing, leading to a much longer verification period.
The embassy official also mentioned serious misconduct involving a senior Malawian diplomat, who was found liable in a US civil court but has yet to pay her $1 million judgment.
Diaz expressed her commitment to safeguarding visas for all Malawian students wishing to study in the US and for businesses relying on travel to the country.
“However, we must now proceed with caution to minimise overstays to avoid jeopardising visas for other categories of applicants from Malawi.
I believe this is the appropriate course of action,” Diaz stated.
Furthermore, her remarks highlighted that Malawi has not adequately addressed several diplomatic matters, including the provision of passport samples for diplomatic, official, and regular passports.
“This is a standard request from all nations. We ask for these to ensure that when we issue visas, we are utilising authentic Malawian passports.
Despite multiple requests over nearly three years, we have not received these samples. I possess samples from the government of Zimbabwe from my tenure as a consular officer there,” she noted.
She also suggested that Malawi might risk losing the privilege of having its visa applications processed locally.
The US is among the few countries that process visas on-site, with the majority being handled in South Africa and other regional nations.
“I do not want Malawi to lose this privilege. However, unless we address these issues and restore the integrity of diplomatic communications, reduce visa applications, and, most critically, decrease overstays and asylum requests, we may have to contemplate more severe measures,” she cautioned.
According to a confidential communication dated April 23, 2025, which was later leaked to the public, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs articulated its concerns directly to the US Embassy in Lilongwe.
The letter emphasised Malawi’s commitment to following established diplomatic protocols, referencing a diplomatic note dated May 2, 2024, that outlines the procedures for official travel.
In the correspondence, the Malawian government acknowledged the sovereign right of the United States to approve or deny visa applications. However, it conveyed concern regarding the rising number of rejections, despite Malawian officials reportedly fulfilling all visa requirements.
“The Ministry would appreciate it if the esteemed Embassy could offer more clarity on these denials,” the document stated. It further noted that while individual reasons for visa rejections have been provided, the increasing frequency of such cases has made it increasingly challenging for the Ministry to provide coherent explanations to officials whose travel for sanctioned government business has been obstructed.
[Some of the details in this report were sourced from Sunday’s episode of Times Television’s The Hot Current programme.]
