US Government Exempts Ghana from New Visa Restrictions
- The United States has exempted Ghana from its latest visa restrictions by the United States Government
- This exemption comes as President Trump hints at expanding travel bans to 20 additional countries, including the Palestinian Authority
- Okudzeto Ablakwa highlighted that the exemption reflects the strong and cordial relationship between Ghana and the US
The United States Government has exempted Ghana from its latest visa restrictions.
This was announced by Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
Source: UGC
President Donald Trump earlier hinted at plans to expand travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries, including the Palestinian Authority.
This doubles the number of nations affected by the visa restrictions imposed by the Donald Trump administration this year on who can travel and emigrate to the US.
Speaking during a farewell parade for Ghanaian Army Engineers deployed to Jamaica to assist with reconstruction efforts, Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that Ghana’s exemption demonstrates the cordial relationship between the two countries.
“Last night, in the latest round of US visa restrictions, which affected almost all our neighbours, President Trump once again exempted our brother country, the Republic of Ghana. We are grateful to President Mahama for leading our foreign policy efforts,” he said.
US reverses visa restrictions on Ghana
Earlier, the US 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.
Source: Facebook
Ablakwa indicated that US authorities had formally notified the Ghanaian government in June of the possible restrictions, citing student visa overstay rates.
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
In a related development, YEN.com.gh rported that the US Embassy in Ghana had previosuly 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.
Source: YEN.com.gh
