African Miss Universe contestants face visa delays for pageant

Miss Universe Zimbabwe delegate Roseanna Hall and several other African contestants may be unable to attend the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico because they have not yet secured the required US visas, sources say.

Hall is slated to represent Zimbabwe at the event, where the winner will be crowned on 24 November, but she still lacks a travel visa for the US territory. Contestants began arriving on the island on 8 November for registration, fittings and other pre‑pageant activities, heightening the urgency for Hall and the South Sudan representative to obtain clearance.

Zimbabwe is among 19 nations placed under partial US travel restrictions introduced by Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect on 1 January 2026. The measures halt the issuance of visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas to nationals of those countries and also limit other non‑immigrant visa categories.

Zambia has withdrawn its delegate, 25‑year‑old nurse Pamela Mubanga, after the same restrictions prevented her travel. In a statement, the Miss Universe organisation in Zambia explained that her case stems from the presidential travel ban rather than personal or documentation issues, adding that five other African countries are experiencing comparable problems, though they were not identified.

Hall posted a video on Instagram stating, "We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved," and later added, "Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe." She also said, "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," and captioned another clip, "The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues," after spending weeks in South Africa trying to obtain a visa. The South Sudan representative replied to Hall’s video, commenting, "It is 50/50 whether we will make it, Miss Universe."

The pageant final is scheduled to be held at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan.