Ghanaians rank high among US visa overstayers
Ghana has emerged as one of the African countries with high visa overstay rates in the United States, according to the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Fiscal Year 2023 Entry/Exit Overstay Report.
Ghanaian travellers admitted for business or pleasure on B1/B2 visas recorded a 7.50 percent total overstay rate, with 1,910 total overstays out of 25,454 expected departures. Of these, 1,850 were in-country overstays, reflecting a 7.27 percent in-country overstay rate.
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In comparison, Nigeria reported a 7.14 percent total overstay rate, with 6,000 total overstays out of 84,051 expected departures. Of these, 5,809 were in-country overstays, giving Nigeria a 6.91 percent in-country overstay rate.
Overstay rates for other African countries:
- Togo: 19%
- Burkina Faso: 12.13%
- Ivory Coast: 7.48%
- Mali: 5.27%
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However, Ghana's figures stand out against the broader global overstay rate of 1.45 percent, highlighting a concerning trend among its nationals.
Globally, countries such as Haiti (31.38 percent) and Chad (49.54 percent) recorded some of the highest overstay rates, with African nations collectively showing mixed results.
Countries such as South Africa (1.00 percent) and Egypt (4.16 percent) had relatively low overstay rates, reflecting a more compliant pattern.
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This data forms part of a comprehensive effort by CBP to monitor compliance with U.S. visa regulations. Overstaying a visa can lead to serious consequences, including a ban on re-entry into the United States for up to ten years, depending on the duration of the overstay.
Efforts are ongoing to address this issue, with U.S. immigration authorities emphasizing public education campaigns in countries with high overstay rates.