The United States government has revised its visa reciprocity policy for Ghana, limiting the duration and number of entries permitted under most non-immigrant visa classifications.
According to the U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs, holders of A-class visas; primarily diplomats and government officials, will continue to receive multiple-entry visas with validity ranging from 24 to 60 months.
Similarly, the K1 visa, issued to the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a US citizen intending to marry within 90 days of arrival in the United States, and the K2 visa, granted to the unmarried dependent child (under 21 years old) of a K1 visa holder, are both single-entry visas valid for a six-month period.
The K3 visa, for the foreign-citizen spouse of a US citizen, and the K4 visa, for their unmarried dependent child (under 21 years old), are both multiple-entry visas valid for 24 months.
All other visa applicants, including those applying for B-class visas, which cover business and tourism travel, will now be issued single-entry visas valid for just three months.
The updated guidelines, published under the U.S. Visa:
- Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country for Ghana, also affect student visa applicants.
- F-1 visa holders, who are typically enrolled in full-time academic programmes in the U.S., will now be issued visas that allow for only one entry and expire after three months.
This marks a change from previous arrangements, under which many Ghanaian travellers were eligible for multiple-entry visas valid for one to five years.
