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 the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico as they race to secure a US visa. Hall is due to represent Zimbabwe at the competition, where the winner will be crowned on 24 November, but she has yet to obtain a visa to travel to the US territory. Hall is not the first African contestant to be affected by the restrictions.

Zambia has withdrawn its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of the US travel restrictions. Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on 8 November for registration, fittings and other pre-pageant activities, raising the pressure on Hall, and others including representatives from South Sudan to secure her visa and join them. "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 Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on 1 January 2026.