The United States government has officially informed Ghana about a possible visa ban, raising serious concerns for the country. According to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the US is unhappy with the growing number of Ghanaian students who travel to America and fail to return after completing their studies.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, June 26, Mr. Ablakwa revealed that the US recently communicated through the White House that Ghana now has a 21% student visa overstay rate. This far exceeds the US’s acceptable limit of 15%. As a result, Ghana risks being added to a list of countries that may face travel restrictions.
“The US authorities have now officially informed us. This is no longer a rumor or leaked report,” Mr. Ablakwa stated. “They’ve made it clear that any country with a student visa overstay rate above 15% could face visa bans.”
He explained that the US is expanding an existing visa ban policy which considers 12 conditions, including terrorism links, failure to deport illegal immigrants, and harboring criminals. While Ghana does not fall under those extreme categories, its high visa overstay rate—especially by students—has become a red flag.
The Minister stressed that both government-sponsored and self-sponsored students are involved in this trend. He assured that the government is already in talks with US officials to avoid any ban and protect Ghana’s travel relationship with America.
He urged Ghanaian students to take immigration rules seriously. “We are working hard to prevent any sanctions, but our people must also help by obeying the visa conditions,” he added.
Ghana now stands at a critical point, with a formal warning from the US and growing pressure to act before sanctions are imposed.
