The United States has lifted visa restrictions imposed on Ghana, restoring five-year multiple entry visas and other consular privileges for Ghanaian travelers.
The announcement was made by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a Facebook post on Thursday.
He said the decision was formally communicated to him by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“I am really pleased that months of high-level diplomatic negotiations has led to a successful outcome,” Mr. Ablakwa wrote, describing the development as a “big win for Ghana.”
It will be recalled that in July this year, the US imposed visa restrictions on Ghana and several other countries, limiting applicants to a maximum of three-month single entry visas. At the time, the Trump Administration cited years of visa overstays, particularly by Ghanaian students, as the reason for the sanctions.
Mr. Ablakwa hailed the reversal as a sign of “healthier and stronger Ghana–USA relations,” emphasizing that it marked a major diplomatic breakthrough for the country.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
