Zimbabwe’s Miss Universe representative, Roseanna Hall is racing against time to secure a US visa and travel to Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of the international beauty pageant amid travel restrictions affecting several African contestants.
Hall is among contestants facing uncertainty over their participation after experiencing delays in obtaining travel documents, with the competition’s pre-pageant activities already under way.
Contestants began arriving in Puerto Rico on November 8 for registration and other activities ahead of the grand finale scheduled for November 24.
In a video posted on her Instagram page, Hall said repeated efforts to secure her visa had so far been unsuccessful.
“We have been back and forth, trying to get my visa approved,” she said.
She revealed that November 13 had been scheduled as her departure date.
“Officially, today is the day I was supposed to be leaving for Puerto Rico for the 75th edition of Miss Universe,” Hall said.
The Zimbabwean beauty queen is among contestants affected by United States travel restrictions introduced under Presidential Proclamation 10998 which came into effect on January 1, 2026.
The measures affect 19 countries, including Zimbabwe, and suspend the issuance of several visa categories, among them visitor, student, exchange and immigrant visas.
Zambia has already withdrawn its representative, 25-year-old Pamela Mubanga, from the competition because of the restrictions.
In a statement, Miss Universe Zambia said Mubanga’s inability to participate was a result of government travel restrictions rather than personal or organisational challenges.
Hall said other African contestants, including representatives from South Sudan, were experiencing similar difficulties.
“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.
Despite the uncertainty, Hall has remained determined to represent Zimbabwe at the international event.
In her latest social media update, she declared: “Queens do not quit! The fight to get Zimbabwe to Puerto Rico continues.”
The Miss Universe South Sudan representative has also expressed uncertainty about her participation, saying it was “50/50 whether we will make it”.
The 75th Miss Universe grand finale is scheduled for November 24 at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.