US lifts visa restrictions on Ghana after migrants deportation deal

The United States has lifted visa restrictions imposed on Ghana after the West African country cooperated with Washington on accepting deported migrants.

Ghana was one of several African nations, including Nigeria, which President Donald Trump hit with visa restrictions.

At the time, Washington said the policy change was owed to visa reciprocity concerns.

TheCable understood that Nigeria’s case was linked to a failed deal on accepting migrants.

Under the policy change, the US limited most visas to single-entry with a three-month validity period.

Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, said the US had pressured Nigeria to accept Venezuelan deportees, including some from prisons.

Tuggar stressed that the country would not be a dumping ground for deportees, given it already 2has 30 million people.

In September, Ghanaian President John Mahama announced that his country had begun acceptingWest African nationals, including Nigerians deported from the US.

Mahama admitted that the US had approached Ghana to accept third-party nationals who were being deported and said the visa restrictions had strained relations between both countries.

In a X post late Friday, Samuel Ablakwa, Ghanaian minister of foreign affairs, said the US had lifted the visa restrictions.

“Ghanaians can now be eligible for five-year multiple entry visas and other enhanced consular privileges. This good news was directly communicated to me by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker at a bilateral meeting earlier today, in the margins of the UN General Assembly. I am really pleased that months of high-level diplomatic negotiations has led to a successful outcome,” Ablakwa said.

On Saturday, the US embassy in Ghana confirmed the development.

“The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that the maximum validity periods for all categories of nonimmigrant visas for Ghanaians have been restored to their previous lengths,” the statement said.

“The maximum validity allowed for the B1/B2 visitor visa is again five years, multiple entry. The maximum validity for the F1 student visa is again four years, multiple entry.”

Tuggar had told TheCable in an interview that Nigeria was working to ease the US visa restrictions, but noted that reciprocity would not be ruled out.(The Cable)