United States lifts visa restrictions on Ghana

The United States has lifted visa restrictions placed on Ghana effective January 17, 2020.

In a Press Release by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S Embassy in Ghana, the restrictions which were placed on B1, B2, B1/B2, A3 and G5 visa categories have been lifted and visa processing will return to the normal procedures.

Visa restrictions were placed on Ghana by the United States last year on some categories due to the failure of bilateral efforts to have Ghanaian Embassy in Washington and Foreign Affairs Ministry in Ghana to issue passports for Ghanaians who were subject to deportation orders within 30 days, in line with the UN Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Not all Ghanaians affected but the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, warned that the scope of the limitations would include additional categories of people or discontinue additional types of visas if there’s no progress in meeting the obligations in the coming months.

The affected people were employees who have been employed by Ghanaian Diplomats in the United States and all Ghanaian Executive and Legislative branch employees, their spouses and children under age 21 were limited to single entry visas valid for only one month (From day of entry with a valid visa). Ghanaians who are not government employees but hold diplomatic and official passports were also included.

According to the Press Release, the validity period and number of entries of all the affected visa categories have been reverted to receive the normal validity, based on reciprocity, which is currently five tears with multiple entries following the establishment of a mutually agreed process for the identification, validating and issuance of travel documentation to Ghanaian citizens under the final orders of removal in a manner consistent with international standards issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization, of which Ghana is a Member State.