Ghana Faces Possible US Visa Sanctions Over High Student Visa Overstay Rate

Accra, Ghana - 27 June, 2025 - The Ghanaian government has confirmed that the country may face visa sanctions from the United States due to a rising rate of student visa overstays.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the US State Department has formally notified Ghana of its inclusion on a watchlist of countries with high visa overstay rates.

The minister, at a press briefing in Accra on Thursday June 26, revealed that 21% of Ghanaian students on US visas have failed to return home after completing their studies, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 15%. This development has sparked concern, but Ablakwa assured that the government is engaging with US officials to address the issue.

“The issue has created considerable anxiety, and that report came to all of us as a surprise,” he stated.

“However, I can confirm to you this evening that the government, led by the Honourable Foreign Minister, has engaged U.S. officials. We've had very productive meetings. The U.S. authorities have now formally brought this to our attention, so it is no longer a leaked report.”

He added that Ghana is not being grouped with countries facing sanctions for severe violations like terrorism or state-sponsored violence. Instead, the US has specifically cited student visa overstays as the reason for Ghana's inclusion on the watchlist.

“The ban, according to U.S. officials, will affect countries not complying with some 12 listed concerns. These range from terrorism, state sponsorship of terrorism, and being safe havens for violent extremists, to high rates of visa overstays,” he explained.

“The U.S. officials have communicated to us that Ghana’s concern specifically relates to student visa overstays.”

Ablakwa emphasized that the government is working to avoid visa restrictions that could impact educational opportunities, travel, and bilateral relations between Ghana and the US.

The government has already taken steps to address the issue, with 188 Ghanaians on a US deportation list, and Ghana's embassies in New York and Washington have been cooperative. Ablakwa expressed confidence that the situation can be resolved through diplomatic efforts, and the government will continue to engage with US officials in the coming weeks.

"The engagements, I must say, are going well because U.S. authorities have confirmed that, apart from overstays, all the other troubling matters, including terrorism, do not apply to Ghana. We have been formally notified of 188 Ghanaians on President Trump's deportation list, and our embassies in New York and Washington have been compliant,” he said.

He added, “We take the view that Ghana's issue, which has to do with overstays, is not so severe that it should place us in the same category as countries sponsoring terrorism or harbouring extremists.”

Source: Lead News Online