Ghanaian Woman Wins US Lottery, Gets Denied Visa for Concealing Details About Her Two Kids, Video

• A Ghanaian woman has opened up about her painful story of how she was refused a US visa despite winning the American Lottery
• The US visa officer found out that the woman lied during her application process, claiming she was unmarried with no kids, although she had two children
• Social media users who took to the comments section of the video have shared varied opinions on the issue

A Ghanaian woman who won the Diversity Lottery (aka American Lottery) has suffered a setback in her quest to relocate to the US.

This comes after she was denied a US visa following her interview at the embassy on March 10, 2025.

The woman, who chose to remain anonymous during an interview sighted by Yen.com.gh on the TikTok page of @kwakuasamoahtv, explained that things went bad when the visa officer asked if she had any children, to which she responded that she had two kids.

She said it was at that point that the visa officer inquired why she chose not to include details about her family while filling out the American Lottery forms, but only did so when completing the DS-260 application, the official form that DV Lottery winners must submit.

The visa officer then said the lady could not be granted a visa based on the flaw in her application.

When asked why she chose not to include details about her family during the initial application, the woman said she falsely stated she was not married and had no kids because applying as a single person would reduce scrutiny on her.

"They would have asked for my marriage certificate and when we got married. Also, the interview process for families is very strict," she explained.

50,000 visas issued each year

The Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery began in 1990 under the Immigration Act to promote immigration from underrepresented countries.

According to the U.S. Department of State, over 10–15 million people apply for the DV Lottery every year with about 50,000 visas issued each year.

The top five African countries among the DV lottery winners are Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Adhere to the rules

Speaking to YEN.com.gh, an immigration lawyer, Akua Poku, called for applicants to be careful when filling their applications to ensure that they do not make petty mistakes.

She also stressed the need for applicants to register for the process themselves to avoid blaming others if their applications are unsuccessful.

"One of the problems the U.S. Department of State wants to avoid by encouraging people to sign up themselves is having participants blame other people for any misrepresentation or fraud that arises in their cases as a result of third-party involvement. Now, if you believe you need help with the process, you can certainly ask for help, but make sure the agent you use accurately represents your information such as your date of birth, marital status, number of children, educational level, email address, etc. and does not withhold your confirmation number as leverage to extort money from you or force you to get 'paired' or married to someone you don't know for the agent's own benefit.

I would not necessarily recommend that you use a lawyer to sign up for the process, but if you have a legal issue about how to correctly present some information based on an ambiguity or complex factual situation that has happened in your life or to you, you should seek legal advice based on that", he told YEN.com.gh.

At the time of writing this report, the video had raked in over 2,000 likes and 300 comments.

Watch the video below:

Reactions to Ghanaian lady denied US visa

Social media users who took to the comments section of the video have shared diverse opinions.

EduTrove Wahala commented:

"I stayed married and I have a child, but no marriage certificate (Muslim). How do I go about it if I win?"

Kobby General stated:

"In my view, the visa officer may think she has no biological children and wants to take the opportunity to include relatives' children. Consulates don't joke with inconsistencies and contradictions."

Adomaofficial wrote:

"Please, ooo, when filling the DV lottery, I added my husband, and when I was choosing gender, I chose female instead of male. So please, with this, am I out?"

SakinaGodWin reacted:

"During the registration, I wasn't married, but now I'm married. I got married in December and just acquired my passport last month. It's stated in my passport that I'm married. What should I do if I win?"

Nizy_Bee added;

"If you go as a family, have your certified marriage certificate, know the names and dates of birth of your kids, and have your WASSCE certificate or work experience, you are good to go."

Man urges Ghanaians to apply for the US lottery

Earlier, Yen.com.gh reported that a Ghanaian man admonished Ghanaians to apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery.

This comes after the young man announced that the registration for the American Lottery was underway and shared vital information applicants must know.

He said that having a passport is not an essential requirement needed to apply for the programme.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh