African Miss Universe beauty queens in limbo as US visa restrictions bite

Miss Universe Zimbabwe Roseanna Hall and several other contestants from Africa could miss this year's competition in Puerto Rico as they race to secure a US visa. Hall is due to represent Zimbabwe at the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant, with the winner set to be crowned on 24 November. But she has yet to obtain a visa to travel to the US territory.

Hall is not the only African contestant to be affected by the restrictions. Zambia has withdrawn its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of US travel restrictions. Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on 8 November for registration, fittings and other pre-pageant activities, putting pressure on Hall, and others including the representative from South Sudan, to secure their visas.

"Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Pueto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe," Hall said. Zimbabwe is among 19 countries subject to partial US travel restrictions introduced under the Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on 1 January 2026.