The United States has lifted visa restrictions on Ghana, restoring five-year multiple-entry visas and other consular privileges for Ghanaian citizens.
The announcement came after months of tense diplomatic negotiations between Accra and Washington.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed the development on Friday, September 26, 2025.
He described the outcome as a “big win for Ghana,” crediting sustained high-level talks for the breakthrough.
“I am really pleased that months of negotiations have led to this successful outcome,” Ablakwa said.
“It’s good to see healthier and stronger Ghana-USA relations. For God and Country.”
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, delivered the news during a bilateral meeting with Ghana on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The restored privileges mean Ghanaians can now enjoy greater mobility for travel, business, and education in the United States.
However, the development has a controversial side.
Ghana has become central to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The country has been receiving West Africans deported from the US even those with no family ties to Ghana.
Since early September, at least 14 West Africans have been deported to Ghana, despite some already winning protection in US immigration courts.
Ghana has reportedly transferred at least four of them back to their home countries under ECOWAS free movement protocols.
President John Mahama defended Ghana’s role, arguing that the country is simply upholding regional agreements.
But rights advocates are raising alarms.
US-based lawyer Meredyth Yoon told AFP that between eight and ten deportees were held under military guard in Ghana before being suddenly dropped in Togo.
“They were left to fend for themselves,” she said.
Another plane carrying deportees also landed in Accra this week, though the number of passengers remains unclear.
Ghana insists its cooperation is humanitarian, not an endorsement of Trump’s hardline immigration policy.
Critics, however, argue that the country is being turned into a third-country deportation hub.
Despite the controversy, the lifting of visa restrictions highlights Ghana’s success in repairing diplomatic ties with Washington.
The decision is expected to boost travel, trade, and educational exchanges between the two nations.