Ghanaian U.S. visa applicants face temporary suspension

From August 16 to 26, 2024, Ghanaian citizens will be unable to make new visa appointments, cancel or reschedule existing ones, or access customer service through the current provider's website. This move is part of the embassy's efforts to address a significant backlog in visa processing.

The switch to a new provider aims to streamline operations and reduce delays that have plagued the visa application process in recent years. At a recent media briefing, U.S. Consul General in Ghana, Elliot Fertik, attributed the backlog to a sharp increase in visa applications, with 2023 seeing three times as many applicants as 2019.

To manage the surge, the embassy has deployed additional resources, particularly for student visa interviews. However, Fertik acknowledged that demand continues to exceed available resources. "We’re going to continue increasing our resources to meet this demand," he said.

“The U.S. Embassy in Accra is moving to a new visa services provider on August 26, 2024.  Access to the old visa service provider’s website and services will cease on August 16, 2024.  You will not be able to make a new visa appointment, cancel or reschedule an existing appointment, or access customer service, between August 16 and August 26, 2024,” the embassy posted on their website.

The embassy did not elaborate on the causes behind the dramatic rise in applications since 2019, but Semafor reports that the period coincides with Ghana’s most severe economic crisis in decades. Soaring inflation and a public finance crisis led the Ghanaian government to seek a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which may have contributed to the spike in visa applications.

As the transition takes place, the embassy advises visa applicants to plan accordingly and stay updated on any further announcements.