The United States has lifted visa restrictions imposed on Ghana after the West African country agreed to cooperate with Washington on accepting deported migrants.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the development, saying Ghanaians are now eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas and other enhanced consular privileges.
The US had restricted most visas for Ghanaians to single-entry with a three-month validity period, citing visa reciprocity concerns.
However, after months of high-level diplomatic negotiations, the US Embassy in Ghana confirmed that the maximum validity periods for all categories of nonimmigrant visas for Ghanaians have been restored to their previous lengths.
Ghana has emerged as a key deportation hub in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, accepting West Africans deported from the US, including those with no family ties to Ghana.
At least 14 West Africans have been sent to Ghana since early September, with some being forwarded to their home countries.
The lifting of visa restrictions is seen as a significant diplomatic win for Ghana, restoring standard visa reciprocity and facilitating smoother travel, business, and educational exchanges between Ghana and the US.
