The United States has lifted the visa restrictions slapped on Ghana.
A Press Release from the US Embassy in Accra announced that effective Friday, January 17, 2020, visa processing will return to the normal procedures.
This comes after the establishment of a mutually agreed process for the identification, validating and issuance of travel documentation to Ghanaian citizens under 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.
Following this, the validity period and number of entries on new tourist and business visas (B1, B2, and B.2) for all Ghanaian executive and legislative branch employee, their spouses, and their children under 21 will revert to receiving the normal validity, based on reciprocity, which is currently five years with multiple entries.
All pending non-immigrant Visas (NIV) to domestic employees (A3 and G5) of Ghanaian diplomats posted in the United States that were received during the visa restrictions will now be processed.
Background
The US imposed the visa restrictions on Ghana in February 2019 after the West African nation refused to accept the return of 7,000 Ghanaian nationals scheduled for deportation at the time.
The US embassy in Accra limited the awarding of visas to certain applicants, such as the domestic staff of diplomats posted to America on the back of Ghana’s refusal to cooperate with US actions.
In 2018, Ghana had questioned the deportees’ nationality and treatment.
The US had accused the 7,000 deportees of being guilty of immigration offences, including abusing the terms of their visas.
