The Ghanaian government has responded to the revision of visa reciprocity schedules by the U.S. government, for travelers from some African countries, including Ghana, a statement made late Thursday.
According to the revision, the validity of B1/B2 visas for Ghanaian applicants has been reduced from five-year multiple-entry to just three-month single-entry visas.
In a statement, Ghana’s foreign ministry expressed solidarity with Ghanaian travelers to the US for professional, business, medical, educational, tourism, and family purposes.
“Ghana recognizes the sovereign right of every country to determine its visa regime but notes that the present limitation imposed by the US varies substantially from the prior reciprocal arrangements that Ghana has maintained with the US,” the statement added.
Consistent with bilateral agreements between Ghana and the US, the statement pointed out that US passport holders also entitled to a maximum visa validity of five years, and in most cases five-year multiple-entry visas are issued upon request.
In the spirit of reciprocity, Ghana’s missions in the US have issued 40,648 visas to holders of US passports, including 28,626 multiple-entry visas to Ghana since the beginning of 2025. It added that Ghana has issued an average of 70.42 percent of multiple long-term visas to US citizens, in line with existing bilateral agreements.
As the government studies the developments to consider its options, the statement reaffirms Ghana’s commitment to prioritizing relations with the United States and working toward cooperation.
As part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, led a delegation of senior officials to the United States recently, where the talks reached significant outcomes and set a clear pathway for further fruitful engagements, according to the statement.
“Ghana remains committed to working expeditiously with its longstanding partner, the US government, for an early resolution of the concerns that have led to the revision of the schedule, which have been confirmed to be overstays,” the statement added.
It added that Ghana would also ensure that the conduct of applicants aligns with the visa application procedures and requirements of the US.