A row between Ghana and the US over the refused deportation of illegal Ghanaian migrants by the US government to Ghana has prompted a Non-Migrant Visa ban on Ghana
Ghana’s refusal to issue the necessary travel documents to over 7000 Ghanaians in various detention centers across America to enable the US deport them to Ghana has triggered the implementation of Section 243(d) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the imposition of visa restrictions until the situation is resolved by the US government.
Those affected by the current visa ban according to the U.S. Embassy in Ghana are domestic employees A3 and G5 of Ghanaian diplomats posted in the United States.
“Beginning on February 4, 2019, the U.S. Embassy in Ghana will discontinue issuing all non-immigrant visas (NIV) to domestic employees (A3 and G5) of Ghanaian diplomats posted in the United States,” it said.
The statement disclosed that although applications from these categories will be processed, no visas will be issued while the restrictions remain in effect.
“The lack of adjudication does not mean a visa denial. The application will remain pending until the visa restrictions are lifted, at which point, the visa application will continue to be processed for issuance,” it explained.
The US government says visas issued prior to the effective date of its visa
restrictions will not be affected but noted however that limits will be placed on the validity period and number of entries on new tourist and business visas (B1, B2, and B1/B2) for all Ghanaian executive and legislative branch employees, their spouses, and their children under 21 to one-month, single-entry visas.
It then gave the assurance that consular operations at the U.S. Embassy in Accra will continue as normal and will not affect other consular services provided, including adjudication of applications from individuals not covered by the imposition of these restrictions such as student visas).
By: Benjamin Nana Appiah
