US Reverses Visa Restrictions On Ghana, Ablakwa Delivers Good News: “Big Win”
- The US has reversed the visa restrictions imposed on Ghana, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
- The US warned of and imposed visa restrictions on Ghana and several other countries in July 2025
- Ablakwa indicated that US authorities had formally notified the Ghanaian government in June of the possible restrictions, citing student visa overstay rates
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that the US has reversed the visa restrictions imposed on Ghana.
Ablakwa said Ghanaians are now eligible for five-year multiple-entry visas.
Source: Facebook
In a statement on Social Media, Ablakwa said this development was big news for Ghana.
“This good news was directly communicated to me by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs at a bilateral meeting earlier today, on the margins of the UN General Assembly."
Ablakwa said the reversal took months of high-level diplomatic negotiations.
The US imposed visa restrictions on Ghana and several other countries in July this year, limiting affected citizens to three-month, single-entry visas.
Why was Ghana facing US visa sanctions?
Ghana was in the bad books of the US following its inclusion on a US State Department watchlist due to a rising rate of student visa overstays.
The Trump administration said it may have restricted Ghanaians from travelling to the US, along with 35 other nationalities.
In June, Ablakwa indicated US authorities had formally notified the Ghanaian government, citing a 21% student visa overstay rate.
The Washington Post first reported that a State Department memo was sent to US diplomats who work with the countries.
The countries facing scrutiny in the memo include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Recently, Togo was among 19 countries slapped with travel restrictions by the Trump administration, which has become more critical of immigration.
US Embassy issues warning for Ghanaians
The US Embassy in Ghana previously warned that there would be consequences for persons, including students, who flout their laws in an attempt to travel to the US.
The Embassy stated that it would not tolerate any attempts by Ghanaians to enter the US illegally.
It added that attempts to falsify information for a visa, work without proper authorisation, or overstay a visa will also come with significant penalties.
FBI warns students from Ghana
YEN.com.gh also reported that the FBI cautioned Ghanaian and international students currently studying in the US.
The federal law enforcement agency has warned that these students have now become targets for scammers working in the country.
An FBI agent in Seattle told Fox News that scammers were targeting overseas students by exploiting their immigration status for profit.
Source: YEN.com.gh
