Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has told Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, that he should not have celebrated the reversal of the US visa restrictions placed on Ghana.
He asked whether this is all that Ghana got from taking in the deportee West African neighbours from the United States.
Mr Cudjoe made the point that the government could have negotiated for more, perhaps a good reduction of the 15% tariff imposed on Ghana, than the reversal of the restrictions.
Read also: Ghana receives 14 West Africans deported from US
In a post on his Facebook page, he said “Frankly, my brother Honourable Okudzeto, I wish this had not been posted and celebrated. We had this already. Yes, l know the Trump administration threatened visa restrictions, but we could have negotiated for more, perhaps a good reduction of the 15% tariff imposed on Ghana. Knowing that Trump is a deal maker on almost everything and given our President’s daring , audaciously great speech on Gaza, we should not be settling for this visa pittance. Is this all we got from taking in our deportee West African neighbours? Anyways.”
On Friday, September 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced that the US visa restrictions imposed on Ghana have been reversed.
Per the latest development, Ghanaians can now be eligible for five-year multiple entry visas and other enhanced consular privileges, Mr Ablakwa said
He wrote on his X page on Friday, September 26 that “Big win for Ghana! The US visa restrictions imposed on Ghana have been reversed. 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.
“It will be recalled that the US imposed visa restrictions on Ghana and other countries in July this year. The affected countries were slapped with a maximum three-month single entry visas and other limitations. In the specific case of Ghana, the Trump Administration said they were reacting to many years of visa overstays mainly by students. It’s good to see healthier and stronger Ghana 🇬🇭 USA 🇺🇸 relations. For God and Country.”
It is recalled that the United States introduced new visa rules for Ghana, limiting most non-immigrant visa holders to single-entry visas valid for just three months.
According to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, the new policy affected the majority of visa types, including B-class visas used for business and tourism, as well as F-1 student visas.
This was a major shift from the previous arrangement, where many Ghanaian travelers received multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years.
Under the updated guidelines:
- B-class visas (for business or tourism) will now be single-entry and valid for three months.
- F-1 student visas will also be single-entry and expire after three months, even if the academic program lasts longer.
- A-class visas, issued to diplomats and government officials, remain multiple-entry with validity between 24 and 60 months.
- K1 and K2 visas, for foreign-citizen fiancés and their children, are single-entry valid for six months.
- K3 and K4 visas, for foreign spouses and their children, remain multiple-entry and valid for 24 months.
The changes were made under the U.S. Visa Reciprocity and Civil Documents policy for Ghana. This system was designed to ensure that U.S. visa terms mirrored those other countries offer to American citizens.
While the U.S. government had not publicly explained the reason for the policy change, such moves were often linked to diplomatic relations, immigration policies, or security updates. A similar adjustment was made recently for Nigerian nationals.
The revision was expected to impact frequent travelers and students the most, as they would now face tighter entry limits and shorter visa durations. It could also lead to longer waiting times at U.S. embassies for new visa approvals.
