The United States has reinstated full visa validity periods for Ghanaian citizens, a move that coincides with Ghana’s recent agreement to accept deported West African nationals from the US, including Nigerians.
In a post on Saturday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the US Embassy in Ghana announced that “the maximum validity periods for all categories of non-immigrant visas for Ghanaians have been restored to their previous lengths.”
“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.”
The decision restores visa privileges that had previously been curtailed during a diplomatic rift over deportation cooperation.
In 2019, the US imposed visa restrictions on Ghana following disputes over the repatriation of Ghanaian deportees.
The timing of the US announcement has raised speculation, particularly in light of President John Mahama’s recent remarks regarding deportation cooperation with Washington.
Mahama, who spoke to Reuters, confirmed that Ghana began accepting non-Ghanaian West African deportees from the United States as of September 11.
“We were approached by the US to accept third-party nationals who were being removed from the US, and we agreed with them that West African nationals were acceptable because all our fellow West Africans don’t need a visa to come to our country,” he said.
He added, “West Africans don’t need a visa anyway” to enter Ghana, emphasising the region’s ECOWAS protocol on free movement, which allows citizens of member states to travel visa-free within West Africa.
According to Mahama, the first batch of 14 deportees — including Nigerians, a Gambian, and others — had already arrived in Accra. Ghanaian authorities are reportedly facilitating their return to their respective countries.
The deportation arrangement aligns with an intensified push under US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, which promoted the removal of migrants to “third countries.”
Trump’s administration previously carried out deportations to nations such as Eswatini, South Sudan, and Rwanda.
Nigeria, one of the key countries affected by such deportation initiatives, has rejected similar proposals from Washington, resisting efforts to accept non-Nigerian deportees or to facilitate removals to third-party countries via Nigerian territory.
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