Are there biases in granting us Visas?
I am sure I am not the first nor last person to write about the visa processes one must go through at the American Embassy in Ghana to secure a visa to travel to the United States of America (USA) for a conference, visit, medical treatment, etc., considering that one must wait for a year or thereafter to get an appointment date and organise documentation for the interview.
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The American Embassy has proven beyond doubt that there are biases in granting visas to applicant, and also that visa proccesses are just a way of collecting our money, because they feel Ghanaians are poor and, therefore, cannot afford to pay their way through to travel to the USA.
How can an applicant be denied a visa on several occasions based on the same reason? There is a generic statement the Embassy issues to every applicant who is denied a visa. My question is, if an applicant is not told specifically of what went amiss, how would the applicant know the appropriate documentation to submit or prove for the next visa appointment?
The crusade of women empowerment and inclusion is out of place, when women are denied visas to attend Women's Conferences in the USA by women consular/officials at the US Embassy in Accra.
The generic statement indicates that an applicant cannot appeal and that one should pay the visa fee again for the next application. Again, the explanation given to the applicant is that under US law, the applicant is not qualified to be in the USA. This is ridiculous and unfair to Ghanaians.
American Embassy is exploiting Ghanaians by taking visa fees and refusing visas with untenable excuses. Considering the number of applicants that go to the embassy on a daily basis, plus the fact that visa fee of GH¢2,400 is not cheap money. I entreat the embassy to do due diligence on every submission and not just deny applicants because I see that to be a pick-and-choose approval.
It makes me believe that those who submit genuine documents and speak the truth are mostly denied visas and it is so unfair and frustrating. American Embassy should respect the people of Ghana and not think that everyone is poor and wants to live in America.
Moreover, most applicants have well-paid secure jobs in Ghana, and would not trade it for anything. I entreat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its engagement with the American Embassy to carefully look at this development of rampant visa refusals and the torturous task Ghanaians in particular go through at the embassy. It is time to speak up for the voiceless!
Julie Akyea,
Accra-Ghana.
