Applying For American Visa In Ghana
Remember you are applying for VISA. A Visa is a privilege to enter the United States. It is not a right. If you do not meet all eligibility requirements, the application process can be lengthy and even unsuccessful! After endorsing your I-20 form (proof of School’s acceptance) get it attested by Ghana Immigration.
On what basis or reasoning can I get an American visa in Ghana? This is the question that will be answered in this article. Whether you want to stay in the USA for long or just want to travel with your family and friends, this article will help you achieve your goal. We will base our discussion today on – Applying For American Visa In Ghana. But, other resources which you can find on our website include some frequently asked questions such as: u s visa appointment available dates in ghana and how much is visa from ghana to usa
Applying For American Visa In Ghana
An estimated 2,000 Ghanaians go abroad for studies and travel yearly. Ghanaian students are the biggest foreign student population in the U.S., with 17, 117 of us being in the country during the 2013-2014 academic year. In addition to travel and studying, a growing number of Ghanaians are going on vacation or working abroad. Whether it’s work or play that you’re doing, GoingAbroad is here to help you through your visa application process.
You must have been wondering how to apply for U.S visa in Ghana. There are different information available on the internet but most of it doesn’t seem true. So In this article you will be guided step by step on how to apply for your visa and get your acceptance letter within days.
U.S. Embassy Accra, Ghana – ACC
Please follow the steps below before your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana.
Step 1: Schedule a medical exam in Ghana
As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical exam in Ghana. Click the “Medical Exam Instructions” button below for a list of designated doctor’s offices in Ghana. Please schedule and attend a medical exam with one of these doctors before your interview.
Step 2: Complete your pre-interview checklist
It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. We’ve created a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print the checklist below and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.
Step 3: Review interview guidelines
Read our interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.
Medical Exam Instructions
All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa. Only a physician accredited by the U.S. Consulate can perform this exam. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa interview appointmentat the U.S. Embassy. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.
Approved Physicians:
Akai House Clinic
No 1, Sixth Circular Road,
Cantonments, Accra
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM
Phone: +233 (0)302 784 772, +233 (0)302 784 773, +233 (0)302 784 774 or +233 (0)595 014 334
Holy Trinity Medical Centre
Nii Amar Koranteng Street
Swanlake, North Kaneshie
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM
and Saturday, 8 AM to 4 PM
Phone: (233) 057 8291 160, +233 (0)26 7425 160, +233 (0) 57 5065 051, +233 (0)26 4315 061, +233 (0)57 8585 061, +233 (0)57 8261 160
Items to bring to your medical examination
You should bring the following items to your medical exam:
- Your visa valid interview letter or printed email,
- Your passport,
- Three (3) recently taken 2” x 2” (5cm x 5cm) color photographs,
- A copy of your immunization records.
- DS-260 confirmation page
You should allow at least 14 days to complete the medical examination process, from start to finish. You must pay all medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, directly to the examining physician.
During the medical exam
The medical examination will include a medical history review, physical examination, and chest X-ray, gonorrhea test, and blood tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older). The United States also requires tuberculosis (TB) testing for all applicants two years of age and older. Please be prepared to discuss your medical history, medications you are taking, and current treatments you are undergoing. More information on general medical requirements for U.S. immigrants is available here.
U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements are available here. You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements online.
After the medical exam
When your examination is completed, the doctor will send the medical report directly to the U.S. Embassy. Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to bring the x-rays to your visa interview unless you suffer from tuberculosis (TB). However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six (6) months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.
U.S. Embassy in Ghana
Important Note for All Visa Applicants
The consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Accra continues to address large COVID-induced appointment backlogs and high demand for all visa classes and many U.S. citizen services. The global pandemic and its repercussions in visa processing mean that applicants will continue to experience long waits and limited appointment availability for most visa categories.
Visit the Accra Answers – U.S Embassy Accra Consular Information and Service Portal for more information on visa processing.
If you have an upcoming appointment at U.S. Embassy Accra, please watch this video to learn about health protocols that will help keep you safe during your visit.
Immigrant Visas:
Immigrant Visa (IV) applications in all visa classes are processed according to the priority and documentarily qualified dates of the case, and Department of State scheduling guidance. Recognizing how the lengthy appointment backlog in pending cases affects all of the thousands of families waiting for reunification, the consular section is not able to accommodate most requests for expedited IV processing, and instead works to process all cases according to their priority date as rapidly as current resources permit.
The consular section and the National Visa Center will notify IV applicants well in advance of their scheduled interview. After receiving notification of a scheduled interview, please review and follow the provided instructions carefully to avoid delays in processing.
Nonimmigrant Visas:
Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) applications in all visa classes are processed. Routine interview appointments in many NIV categories have been made available several years into the future to address high demand. The consular section will open additional appointments in the coming weeks and months according to estimated staffing and capacity. We encourage applicants to monitor our calendar at USTravelDocs.com/gh for newly added appointments and earlier appointment dates. NIV applications are processed for students, temporary workers, and for the traveler’s in need of emergency medical care via expedite requests at https://ustraveldocs.com/gh/en/.
Students, temporary workers, and travelers needing urgent medical care are encouraged to submit an expedited appointment request at https://ustraveldocs.com/gh/en/ . However, all interview appointments are subject to operational capacity. Even with an approved expedite request, the consular section cannot guarantee an interview date prior to the applicant’s anticipated travel date or program start date. Students unable to secure an interview date before their academic program’s start date should work with their educational institution to update the permitted start date in SEVIS or defer initial enrollment to a later semester.
If you are a citizen or resident of Ghana who has been issued any class of nonimmigrant U.S. visa after turning 14 years of age, you may be eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview requirement for your F, M, or J student visa application. Citizens or residents of Ghana in possession of a still valid or expired B1/B2 visa, and qualifying children under the age of 14 applying for the first time with parents who are renewing their travel documents, are encouraged to apply via the Interview Waiver Program. Read here for details and visit https://ustraveldocs.com/gh/en/ for steps to submit your applications.
Applicants for B1/B2 “business” or “tourism” visas should expect lengthy waiting periods for routine appointments. We understand that some visa applicants have paid the visa application processing fee and are still waiting to schedule a visa appointment. The validity of all nonimmigrant visa payments (known as the MRV fee) made before October 1, 2022 has been extended until September 30, 2023. All MRV fees paid on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date of payment. Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period. Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period. There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period.
In order to provide efficient and equitable availability of consular services, it may be occasionally necessary for the consular section to reschedule some appointments already on the calendar for the coming weeks and months. Applicants affected by these actions will receive an email or text message with notice of appointment cancellation from https://ustraveldocs.com/gh/en/ that contains instructions on how to reschedule their appointment for a future date. Applicants with a qualifying need for urgent travel should follow the instructions on https://ustraveldocs.com/gh/en/ to request an expedited appointment.
Visit the Accra Answers – U.S Embassy Accra Consular Information and Service Portal for information on diplomatic and official visa processing for representatives of international organizations and national government officials traveling to the United States for inherently governmental activity.
Informational Links:
- Accra Answers – U.S Embassy Accra Consular Information and Service
- U.S. Visas News
- Requirements for Air Travelers to the U.S.
- Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination for Air Passengers
- COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Exceptions
- Travel as U.S. Resident (LPR)
The purpose of your intended travel and other facts will determine what type of visa is required under U.S. immigration law. As a visa applicant, you will need to establish that you meet all requirements to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.
See our Directory of Visa Categories on usvisas.state.gov to determine which visa category might be appropriate for your purpose of travel to the United States.
Nonimmigrant Visas
Immigrant Visas
What is a Visa?
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The Visa section of this website is all about U.S. visas for foreign citizens to travel to the United States.
(Note: U.S. citizens don’t need a U.S. visa for travel, but when planning travel abroad may need a visa issued by the embassy of the country they wish to visit.).
Customer Service Statement
The Department of State manages the visa process strictly but fairly in order to best protect the United States. We are committed to the essential openness for which the United States has always been known. Travel to the United States is welcomed and encouraged.
We promise to you, the visa applicant, that:
- We will treat you with dignity and respect, even if we are unable to grant you a visa.
- We will treat you as an individual and your case as unique.
- We will remember that, to you, a visa interview may be a new or intimidating experience and that you may be nervous.
- We will use the limited time available for the interview to get as full a picture as possible of your travel plans and intentions.
- We will use our available resources to fairly assist all applicants to get appointments to allow travel in time for business, study, and other important obligations.
- We will post detailed and accurate information on visa requirements and application procedures on every Embassy and Consulate website.
- We will provide information on non-immigrant appointment waiting times at every Embassy and Consulate posted on http://travel.state.gov.
- We will explain the reason for any visa denial to you.
Furthermore, if you are a:
- Student, we will make every effort to ensure that you get an appointment and, if qualified, a visa in time to start classes.
- Medical and humanitarian emergency traveler, we will expedite processing for those dealing with life threatening emergencies.
- Business traveler, we will establish appropriate mechanisms to facilitate business travel and expedite cases of particular concern to American business.
At the same time, we expect you, the visa applicant, to:
- Plan your travel and visa application as far in advance as possible.
- Complete your application fully and accurately.
- Be forthcoming about your purpose and plans.
- Prepare for your interview by being able to clearly and concisely describe your intentions.
