US Embassy, Accra
The US Embassy in Accra has placed visa restrictions on Ghana.
The embassy says beginning from February 4, 2019, it will discontinue issuing all non-immigrant visas (NIV) to domestic employees of (A3 and G5) of Ghanaians diplomats posted in the United States.
According to the embassy, A3 and G5 visa applications will be processed, but no visas in these categories will be issued while these restrictions remain in effect.
The application will remain pending until the visa restrictions are lifted, at which point, the visa application will continue to be processed for issuance, the embassy said.
The embassy indicated that in addition, consular officers will limit the validity period and number of entries on new tourists and business visas (B1, B2, and B1/B2) for all Ghanaian executive and legislature branch employees, their spouses, and their children under 21 to one-month, single entry visa.
There will also be limits on the validity and number of entries on new tourists and business visas for all Ghanaian and executive and legislative branch employees to one-month, single-entry visas.
These restrictions, the embassy said, will affect their spouses and their children under 21 years of age.
All other consular operations at the US Embassy in Accra will continue as normal at this time.
These visa restrictions will not affect other consular services provided, including adjudication of applications from individuals not covered by the imposition of these restrictions (for example, student visas. ”
Some 7,000 Ghanaians have been earmarked for deportation over the last years, but the government of Ghana has insisted on vetting the deportees before issuing travel documents.
It is believed that since July 2016, the US government has engaged with the Ghanaian government in both Washington, DC and Accra on this matter.
New US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, addressing the Ghanaian media for the first time on Friday, February 1, 2019, to outline her vision for the country, said students visa holders, current visa holders, Ghanaian government officials and individuals travelling on US government exchange programmes will not be affected.
However, she said should the Ghanaian government fail to address the issue in the coming months, the US Embassy could add additional categories of people.
Ghana, she said, has failed to comply with the ICAO provision of issuing travelling documents to the potential deportees within 30 days.
BY Melvin Tarlue