US Embassy Makes Call for Non-Immigrant Visas Appointments, Says Over 1,000 Slots Available
- The US Embassy in Accra has opened over 1,000 non-immigrant visa appointments for interested applicants
- There has been controversy around US President Donald Trump's aggressive stances against immigration from countries like Ghana
- Trump's immigration policies have led to a freeze on immigration processing from Ghana and 74 other countries
The US Embassy in Accra has announced the availability of non-immigrant visa appointments.
The embassy has said there are more than 1,000 B1/B2 visa appointment slots available in the next week.
Source: Getty Images
In the announcement on X, the embassy said now was the time for interested persons to schedule interviews.
"If you’ve been planning to apply for a U.S. visa, this is a great time to schedule your interview. Book a new appointment – or move up one scheduled for later in the year – we want to interview you now."
These classes of visas are normally for short-term stays for business, tourism or medical purposes.
They are typically used for meetings, conferences, tourism, or visiting family for up to 6 months.
This comes amid US President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.
On January 14, the US announced an indefinite freeze on immigrant visa processing for Ghana and 74 other countries.
This was part of a broader effort to tighten immigration controls and prevent applicants deemed likely to become a public charge from entering the country.
The US Department of state annouced the pause in a statement on X, which read:
"The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people."
Aside from Ghana, the move affects a wide range of countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, including Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, and Yemen.
The policy is anchored in the enforcement of the so-called 'public charge' provision of US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny visas to applicants considered likely to depend on government welfare or public benefits.
In November 2025, the State Department issued a global cable instructing consular officers to apply stricter screening rules under this provision.
Trump's crackdown on immigration to the US
The Trump administration has taken a hard stance on immigration, especially from the developing world. At one point, Ghana was in line for a travel ban.
Trump said he plans to permanently pause migration to America from Ghana and all other third-world countries.
The US president wrote in a Truth Social post that the decision would allow the US system to fully recover from past immigration policies.
Source: Getty Images
He maintains that these policies have eroded the gains and living conditions of many Americans.
Trump, however, did not provide details of his plan or name the countries that might be affected.
Trump suspends American visa lottery
In December 2025, YEN.com.gh reported that Trump suspended the US green card lottery scheme after a shooting at Brown University, in which two people were killed.
The suspect, who was identified as 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, was a Portuguese man who was found dead on December 18.
He entered the country through the diversity lottery immigrant visa programme in 2017 and was granted an American green card.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
