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Visa difficulties linked to United States travel restrictions are putting the participation of several African contestants in this year’s Miss Universe pageant in doubt, with Zimbabwe’s representative Roseanna Hall still awaiting approval to travel to Puerto Rico.
Hall, who is expected to represent Zimbabwe at the 75th edition of the competition on November 24, has been making repeated attempts to secure a US visa.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, Hall said she had been trying to obtain approval for her travel documents, according to the BBC.
“We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved,” she said.
Her situation comes as Zambia has already withdrawn its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of US travel restrictions affecting Zambian nationals.
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Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8 for registration, fittings and other pre-pageant activities, leaving Hall and other affected participants, including Miss Universe South Sudan, with limited time to secure travel documents.
“Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe,” Hall said.
Zimbabwe is among 19 countries subject to partial US travel restrictions introduced under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026.
The measures restrict visa issuance to Zimbabwean nationals in certain categories, including visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas, subject to specified exceptions.
In a statement, the Miss Universe Zambia organisation said Mubanga’s withdrawal was a result of the broader travel restrictions rather than personal or administrative challenges.
“Unlike situations where a contestant’s visa is denied due to personal circumstances, documentation or organisational challenges, Mubanga’s situation is linked to the United States’ presidential travel restriction affecting Zambia and other African countries,” the organisation said.
Mubanga, a 25-year-old registered nurse, was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on October 8 and was expected to represent the country at the international pageant.
The organisation said five other African countries were experiencing similar difficulties, although it did not identify them.
Hall said she understood the challenges facing other contestants, adding that she had spent several weeks in South Africa trying to obtain her visa.
“I am not alone in this predicament. Some of my African sisters are facing the same predicament, and I know exactly what they are going through,” she said.
Miss Universe South Sudan also expressed uncertainty over its representative’s participation, commenting on Hall’s video: “It is 50/50 whether we will make it, Miss Universe.”
Despite the uncertainty, Hall said she remained hopeful of travelling to Puerto Rico.
In a separate video posted three days earlier, she said efforts to secure her participation were continuing.
“The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues,” she captioned the video.
The 75th Miss Universe finale is scheduled to take place at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 24.
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