Ghana Makes List of Top 5 African Countries With High US Student Visa Refusal Rates, Details Emerge
- Ghana is making the headlines for not too good reasons, following a study on the high student visa refusal rates to the US
- The study by Shorelight disclosed that 64 per cent of US student visa applicants coming from Africa were refused
- This comes on the heels of a similar study where Ghana emerged on the list of African countries with high visitor visa denial rates
A new study conducted by Shorelight, an education firm based in the US, has raised concerns over the high refusal rates for student visas among international students.
This comes after the study, which was released on April 6, 2025, found that more international student visa applications are being rejected in the US, marking the highest rate in the past decade.
Source: Getty Images
The study by Shorelight found that Africa was the continent most impacted, with 64 per cent of student visas being denied.
On a subregional level, the study found that student visa refusal rates for Central Africa increased from 59 per cent in 2024 to 64 per cent in 2025.
In Eastern Africa, the percentage increased from 51 per cent to 53 per cent. Northern Africa also saw an increase from 56 per cent to 64 per cent.
Southern Africa recorded an increase from 23 per cent in 2024 to 31 per cent, and finally, Western Africa saw an increase from 78 per cent to 81 per cent.
In a country breakdown, Ghana achieved an unenviable feat after the study showed that it ranked among African countries with the highest student visa denial rates.
Per the study, Somalia ranked first with the highest student visa refusal rates, rising from 81 per cent in 2024 to 91 per cent in 2025. Sierra Leone followed in second place, rising from 84 per cent to 90 per cent.
Burkina Faso took the third spot, moving from 80 per cent to 88 per cent. Benin took the fourth spot, having seen its percentage increase from 74 per cent to 87 per cent, while Ghana took the fifth spot, with its visa refusal rate rising from 78 per cent to 81 per cent.
Visitor visa denial rates for Ghanaians
The US Department of State, meanwhile, also released data on B-visa (visitor visa) refusal rates for Fiscal Year 2025, showing countries with the highest number of residents refused visas in the previous year.
In Africa, Ghana was ranked 16th in the list of the top 20 countries with the highest visa refusal rates, with a percentage of 64.31%.
The other African countries that made the list include Somalia, ranked first with 83.52%; South Sudan, second with 76.09%; Gambia, third with 75.29%; Guinea-Bissau, fourth with 75.17%; and Senegal, fifth with 73.96%.
Here is the full study:
Source: Getty Images
US imposes travel ban on selected countries
YEN.com.gh also reported that Burkina Faso and four other countries have been hit with a US travel ban.
The ban, which took effect from January 1, 2026, seeks to protect national security amid the country’s current immigration crackdown.
Source: YEN.com.gh
