Photo credit, Roseanna Hall
Miss Universe Zimbabwe, Roseanna Hall, and several other African contestants could miss this year's competition in Puerto Rico as they are in the process of obtaining a US visa.
Hall is set to represent Zimbabwe in the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant, the winner of which will be crowned on November 24. However, she has not yet obtained a visa to travel to the United States.
“We went back and forth endlessly trying to get my visa approved,” Hall said in a video posted to his Instagram page.
Hall is not the only African candidate affected by these restrictions. Zambia withdrew its representative, Pamela Mubanga, from the competition due to travel restrictions imposed by the United States.
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Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on Nov. 8 for registration, fittings and other preparatory activities for the pageant, putting pressure on Hall and others, including the South Sudan representative, to obtain their visas.
“Officially, today was the day I was supposed to leave for Puerto Rico for the 75th Miss Universe,” Hall said.
Zimbabwe is among 19 countries subject to partial travel restrictions imposed by the United States under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect January 1, 2026.
These measures suspend the issuance of visitor, student and exchange visas, as well as immigrant visas, to nationals of the countries concerned. They also place restrictions on other categories of nonimmigrant visas.
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In a statement, the Miss Universe Organization in Zambia said Mubanga's situation was a consequence of travel restrictions rather than individual circumstances.
“Unlike situations where an applicant's visa is denied due to personal circumstances, documentation issues, or organizational difficulties, Mubanga's situation is related to U.S. presidential travel restrictions affecting Zambia and other African countries,” the statement said.
Mubanga, 25, a registered nurse, was crowned Miss Universe Zambia on October 8 and was expected to represent the country at the international pageant.
The statement said five other African countries were facing similar difficulties, but did not name them.
Hall said she shared their concerns, adding that she had spent the last few weeks in South Africa trying to get her visa.
"I am not alone in this situation. Some of my African sisters are facing the same situation, and I know exactly what they are going through," she said.
Miss Universe South Sudan also expressed uncertainty about her participation, commenting on Hall's video: "It's 50/50 on our participation, Miss Universe."
In another video posted three days earlier, Hall said she still hoped to travel to Puerto Rico.
She captioned the video: "The fight to bring Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues."
The final of the competition is scheduled at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan.
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We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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