Ghana risks U.S. visa sanctions over high student overstay rate – Ablakwa confirms

Ghana may face visa sanctions from the United States following its inclusion on a U.S. State Department watchlist due to a rising rate of student visa overstays, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has confirmed.

At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, 26 June, Mr Ablakwa disclosed that U.S. authorities had formally notified the Ghanaian government of the development, citing a 21% student visa overstay rate—well above the acceptable threshold of 15%.

“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.”

While acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Mr Ablakwa clarified that Ghana is not being grouped with countries facing sanctions for more severe violations such as terrorism, extremism, or state-sponsored violence.

“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.”

According to data shared by U.S. authorities, 21% of Ghanaian students on visas have not returned home after completing their studies, significantly breaching the maximum overstay rate of 15%.

Despite the warning, Mr Ablakwa sought to calm public fears, emphasising that Ghana has cooperated fully with U.S. immigration regulations in the past.

“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.”

The government is expected to step up its diplomatic engagements with U.S. officials in the coming weeks in an effort to avoid visa restrictions that could affect educational opportunities, travel, and broader bilateral relations. –myjoyonline.com