US lifts visa restrictions on Ghana — five-year multiple entry visas to resume, minister says
By: Isaac Darko Boamah, New York
Accra, Sept. 26 — The United States has agreed to lift the visa restrictions it imposed on Ghana in July and to restore five‑year multiple‑entry visas and other enhanced consular privileges for Ghanaian nationals, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced on social media on Friday.
Ablakwa said the development was confirmed to him directly by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York earlier in the day. “Big win for Ghana!” the minister posted, adding that “months of high‑level diplomatic negotiations has led to a successful outcome.”
Background and scope of change
In July, the U.S. imposed restrictive consular measures on Ghana and a number of other countries, limiting certain applicants to a maximum three‑month single‑entry visa and imposing additional constraints on consular processing. The U.S. government at the time cited persistent visa overstays — particularly among some student groups — as the principal reason for the move.
According to Ablakwa’s post, the reversal means eligible Ghanaians will again be able to apply for longer‑term, multiple‑entry visas and benefit from “enhanced consular privileges.” He described the outcome as a sign of “healthier and stronger Ghana–USA relations.”
What happens next
Details on the timing and operationalisation of the change — including when the U.S. Embassy in Accra will begin issuing five‑year multiple‑entry visas again and which categories of applicants will immediately qualify — are expected to be released formally by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Accra. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would brief the public once official documentation is received.
Implications
If implemented as described, the move is likely to ease travel for students, businesspeople, tourists and members of the Ghanaian diaspora, and could restore greater predictability for academic exchanges, trade missions and diaspora travel. Diplomatic observers say the reversal also underlines the value of sustained, high‑level engagement when navigating consular and migration issues.
Analysts add that while the restoration of privileges will be welcomed, U.S. authorities will likely continue to expect cooperation from Ghanaian institutions — including universities and border agencies — in measures designed to curb visa overstays and improve data sharing.
Reactions and next steps
The minister thanked diplomatic teams and said the breakthrough was achieved through persistent negotiation. He closed his post with a customary patriotic sign‑off: “For God and Country.”
Representatives of student bodies, travel agents and Ghanaian diaspora organisations have not yet issued formal statements; responses are expected once the U.S. Embassy provides an official advisory.
A formal public notice from the U.S. Embassy in Accra and guidance for prospective visa applicants is anticipated in the coming days.