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US visa restrictions threatens Zimbabwe's Miss Universe dream
9 mins ago |
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Miss Universe Zimbabwe Roseanna Hall is facing a race against time to secure a United States visa, with her participation in this year's Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico hanging in the balance.
Hall is among several African beauty queens whose hopes of competing at the prestigious international event have been thrown into uncertainty by US travel restrictions affecting their countries.
The 75th edition of Miss Universe is scheduled to conclude on November 24 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but Hall has yet to secure the necessary travel documents.
In an emotional video shared on Instagram, the Zimbabwean beauty queen revealed that efforts to obtain her visa had been unsuccessful despite weeks of trying.
"We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved," Hall said.
She explained that she had spent several weeks in South Africa attempting to resolve the visa situation, hoping to travel in time for the pageant's preliminary activities.
"Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe," she said.
Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8 for registration, fittings, rehearsals and other activities leading up to the grand finale.
Hall's predicament comes amid US travel restrictions affecting nationals of several countries, including Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is among 19 countries subject to partial travel restrictions introduced under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026.
The restrictions affect the issuance of certain categories of US visas, including visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas, although exemptions may apply in specific circumstances.
As Puerto Rico is a US territory, international contestants are subject to applicable American immigration requirements.
The restrictions have already forced Zambia to withdraw its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition.
Mubanga, a 25-year-old registered nurse who was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on October 8, had been preparing to represent her country on the international stage.
However, the Miss Universe organisation in Zambia confirmed that she would no longer participate because of the travel restrictions.
"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 in a statement.
The Zambian organisation indicated that contestants from five other African countries were experiencing similar challenges, although it did not identify the affected nations.
Hall acknowledged that she was not alone in the struggle, expressing solidarity with fellow African contestants whose participation remained uncertain.
"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 concern about her chances of attending the competition.
Commenting on Hall's Instagram video, the South Sudanese representative wrote: "It is 50/50 whether we will make it, Miss Universe."
Despite the uncertainty, Hall has continued to express determination to represent Zimbabwe on the global stage.
In an earlier Instagram post, she indicated that efforts to secure her travel documents were continuing.
"The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues," she wrote.
Her situation has highlighted the difficulties facing African contestants caught between international travel restrictions and the strict schedules of major global competitions.
For Hall, the delay threatens to derail months of preparation and deny Zimbabwe representation at one of the world's most prominent beauty pageants.
With the competition already underway and the November 24 finale approaching, the Zimbabwean beauty queen faces an increasingly narrow window to obtain her visa and join the other contestants in Puerto Rico.
For now, Hall remains hopeful that a breakthrough will allow her to fulfil her ambition of flying Zimbabwe's flag at Miss Universe 2026.
Hall is among several African beauty queens whose hopes of competing at the prestigious international event have been thrown into uncertainty by US travel restrictions affecting their countries.
The 75th edition of Miss Universe is scheduled to conclude on November 24 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but Hall has yet to secure the necessary travel documents.
In an emotional video shared on Instagram, the Zimbabwean beauty queen revealed that efforts to obtain her visa had been unsuccessful despite weeks of trying.
"We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved," Hall said.
She explained that she had spent several weeks in South Africa attempting to resolve the visa situation, hoping to travel in time for the pageant's preliminary activities.
"Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe," she said.
Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8 for registration, fittings, rehearsals and other activities leading up to the grand finale.
Hall's predicament comes amid US travel restrictions affecting nationals of several countries, including Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is among 19 countries subject to partial travel restrictions introduced under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026.
The restrictions affect the issuance of certain categories of US visas, including visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas, although exemptions may apply in specific circumstances.
As Puerto Rico is a US territory, international contestants are subject to applicable American immigration requirements.
The restrictions have already forced Zambia to withdraw its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition.
Mubanga, a 25-year-old registered nurse who was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on October 8, had been preparing to represent her country on the international stage.
"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 in a statement.
The Zambian organisation indicated that contestants from five other African countries were experiencing similar challenges, although it did not identify the affected nations.
Hall acknowledged that she was not alone in the struggle, expressing solidarity with fellow African contestants whose participation remained uncertain.
"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 concern about her chances of attending the competition.
Commenting on Hall's Instagram video, the South Sudanese representative wrote: "It is 50/50 whether we will make it, Miss Universe."
Despite the uncertainty, Hall has continued to express determination to represent Zimbabwe on the global stage.
In an earlier Instagram post, she indicated that efforts to secure her travel documents were continuing.
"The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues," she wrote.
Her situation has highlighted the difficulties facing African contestants caught between international travel restrictions and the strict schedules of major global competitions.
For Hall, the delay threatens to derail months of preparation and deny Zimbabwe representation at one of the world's most prominent beauty pageants.
With the competition already underway and the November 24 finale approaching, the Zimbabwean beauty queen faces an increasingly narrow window to obtain her visa and join the other contestants in Puerto Rico.
For now, Hall remains hopeful that a breakthrough will allow her to fulfil her ambition of flying Zimbabwe's flag at Miss Universe 2026.
Source - BBC
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