The United States has granted permanent residency to Ghana’s former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, his lawyer confirmed on Tuesday, bringing an end to a prolonged immigration and legal saga that included his arrest by US authorities.
Ofori-Atta, 66, has been in the United States since January last year, where he travelled for medical treatment, including surgery for prostate cancer.
However, he was later detained by US immigration authorities in January over what officials described as issues relating to the status of his stay, according to his legal team. The arrest was carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while he was seeking an extension of his residency.
In February 2025, Ghanaian authorities declared the former minister a fugitive, and he was subsequently charged with corruption in November of the same year.
Confirming the latest development, his lawyer, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, said a US Immigration Court approved his Green Card application.
“Ken Ofori-Atta’s I-485 petition for adjustment of status has been granted by the US Immigration Court,” the lawyer said in a statement.
He added that the court found the criminal allegations in Ghana not credible, although the ruling was primarily based on whether Ofori-Atta met the legal requirements for adjustment of status.
Ofori-Atta served as Ghana’s Finance Minister from 2017 to 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, overseeing major tax reforms and negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.
His tenure was marked by both economic reforms and controversy, while his successor administration under President John Mahama has intensified anti-corruption efforts. Critics, however, have accused the government of political targeting in some of the ongoing prosecutions.
