The U.S. Embassy in Ghana has served notice of its decision to sanction Ghana by discontinuing the issuance of all non-immigrant visas (NIV) to A3 and G5 employees of Ghana’s Foreign Service posted to the United States, effective February 4, 2019.
The notice indicated that although the embassy will receive and process A3 and G5 visa applications, no visas in these categories will be issued as application will remain pending until the visa restrictions are lifted, at which point, the visa application will continue to be processed for issuance.
In addition, the embassy’s consular officers will limit the validity period and number of entries on new tourist and business visas (B1, B2, and B1/B2) for all government officials and employees of the executive and legislative branches of government, their spouses, and their children under the age of 21 to one-month, single-entry visas. Visas issued prior to the effective date of the sanction will not be affected
All other consular operations at the embassy will continue as normal within this restriction and sanction period. This restriction will also not affect other consular services provided by the embassy, including adjudication of applications from individuals not covered by the imposition of this sanction such as student visas.
This sanction by the US government is in direct response to the failure of Ghana to issue the necessary travel documents to Ghanaians under deportation orders from the US since July 2016, prompting the embassy to invoke Section 243(d) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, which indicates that when a country is determined to be denying or unreasonably delaying accepting the return of its nationals, the U.S. Government institutes visa restrictions until the situation is resolved.
This decision will go down in history as the first major action taken by US Ambassador, H.E. Stephanie S. Sullivan after presenting her credentials to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last week. The US however remains committed to working together with the Government of Ghana to resolve the situation for an amicable.
By: Diplomatic Times News Desk
