Ghanaian Lady Who Won the US Lottery Denied Visa Due to Surname Error, Advises Applicants, Video

• A Ghanaian woman is trending after sharing her story of how she was denied a US visa despite being selected among the winners
• The lady explained that she had made an error in the spelling of her surname, which rendered her ineligible for the American visa
• Netizens who reacted to the video shared varied opinions on the disclosure made by the lady about losing the big opportunity

A Ghanaian woman who won the Diversity Visa Lottery (also known as the American Lottery) has used her painful experience to advise individuals who applied for the visa programme.

In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh on TikTok, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, @hairby.abenarose stated that the incident occurred in 2019 after she was selected as one of the successful applicants for that year's Diversity Lottery.

Despite being chosen among the lucky winners, her luck ran out after she printed the DV Lottery Selection Notification letter, only to realise that she had misspelt her surname during the application.

"On 21st October 2019, that is when I checked my results and realised that I also won the American Lottery. But I made a mistake. My name is Rosemary Quandoh. This is my letter; the name is Rosemary Quandah. The mistake was that I misspelled my surname, so it became 'Rosemary Quandah' instead of 'Quandoh'."

The lady mentioned that she went for the interview and was eventually denied the visa because of a typo in her surname.

She blamed herself for the setback, saying her decision to keep the application process a secret also contributed to the problem.

The lady also noted that if she had consulted people who were well-versed in the application process, she could have corrected the mistakes.

"The reason why I'm doing this video is because there are certain mistakes which, when made, can really affect your life. I don't know. For us, especially Ghanaians, when we get the chance to take part in anything involving traveling abroad, we don't want to consult people."

She explained her mistake in trying too hard to be discreet because she did not want anyone else to know what she was up to.

"I did everything and then went for the interview on December 3, 2019, and I was given a letter indicating that my visa had been refused because I was found ineligible to receive a visa," she continued.

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

Minor mistakes can get you disqualified

Akua Poku, an immigration lawyer based in the US in an interview with YEN.com.gh said that applicants, despite being successful, can be refused visas for making petty mistakes during the registration period.

"The most painful situation is where winners or selectees of the lottery make very minor but catastrophic errors during the registration period. These mistakes, in the long run, disqualify them from getting their immigrant visas issued to them even after they win or are selected. The rules are simple but very strict, and failure to follow them can get you quickly disqualified from the game. If you intend to take part in it, there are a few things that come into play. The most important of them is the ability to play by the rules. Reading and following the instructions carefully are non-negotiable if you want to be successful in the process. Instructions for the DV program can be found at travel.state.gov.”

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

Watch the video below:

Reactions to Ghanaian lady losing US visa

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

Md commented:

"Awwww, how could you make such a mistake? Always go through any application before submitting. I believe you can swear an affidavit of support to correct your name."

Yaw dwarkwaa stated:

Try again till you get there

Jona Mac Allister stated:

"The thing is, even if you win, you need additional prayers and effort to get your visa... I won't even be happy if I win... You can be denied just because of your results even."

Maame Esi added:

"Sis, don't worry. My friend won in 2019 and was to go to the embassy in April 2020 but couldn't go because of COVID; the embassy was closed. Most people didn't go; they told them their interviews had passed."

Eric Kwesi Adeti wrote:

"Heh chale, I forgot the house address I used. That's my problem now. Don't know if I used where I am now or my dad's house. I'm so confused."

Ghanaians advised to apply for US lottery

Earlier, YEN.com.gh also reported that a man abroad advised Ghanaians to apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery.

In a video, he explained that the registration was underway and shared vital information applicants must know.

He added that having a passport was not an essential requirement needed to apply for the US lottery programme.

Source: YEN.com.gh