Moving to the USA from Ghana: Visas, Green Cards and Where to Apply

Ghana is not on the list of 39 countries restricted by Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026. Ghanaians can still apply for visitor, student, work, and immigrant visas.

Two immigrant visa pauses have affected Ghanaians in 2026:

• Ghana was also on the list of 75 countries whose immigrant visas were paused starting January 21, 2026. A federal court vacated that pause on August 21, 2026 (CLINIC v. Rubio), and the government has appealed, so the situation can still change.
• Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers are trained on public charge reviews. Scheduled interviews were moved to later dates, and no restart date has been announced as of September 2026. Visitor, student, and temporary work visas are not part of this pause. Details: immigrant visa pause.

If you are waiting for a family or employment green card, keep your National Visa Center (NVC) case current and watch the embassy's announcements. Visitor and student visa interviews are not part of these pauses.

Ghana has no trade treaty with the US, so the E-1 and E-2 visas are not available to Ghanaian nationals. Entrepreneurs usually look at the EB-2 NIW, the EB-5 investor green card, or a visa based on a second nationality.

For an overview of every route, see our guide to US immigration and how US immigration works.

Yes. Ghana is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so you need a B-2 tourist visa or B-1 business visa. You fill in the online DS-160 form, pay the application fee, and attend an interview at the embassy in Accra.

At the interview, you must show that your trip is temporary and that you have strong ties to Ghana (such as a job, business, property, or family). The number of entries and how long your visa is valid depend on the reciprocity schedule for Ghana, which the State Department publishes on its Ghana page. The State Department's guidance is to apply for a visitor or other temporary visa at the US embassy or consulate in the country where you live. Applying elsewhere is possible but can make it harder to show you qualify.

Study. Ghana sends many graduate students to the US, often in engineering, public health, and business. You need an I-20 from a certified school, proof of funds for at least the first year, and an F-1 interview. Since September 15, 2026, new F-1 students are admitted until a fixed date instead of for "duration of status", so you may need to file for an extension if your program runs longer. See F-1 fixed admission period.

Skilled work. The H-1B needs a US employer and goes through a yearly lottery. Since February 27, 2026, the H-1B lottery gives more entries to higher wage levels. A separate $100,000 fee on some new H-1B petitions (from a September 2025 proclamation) is being fought in court, with judges split as of September 2026. See H-1B $100k fee.

Nurses and health workers. Many Ghanaian nurses immigrate through EB-3 after passing the NCLEX and getting a US employer to file the petition. Doctors often start with a J-1 for residency or use the EB-2 NIW. Some states now offer alternative licensing for internationally trained doctors.

Family. US citizens can sponsor spouses, children, parents, and siblings. Green card holders can sponsor spouses and unmarried children. Ghanaians use the "all chargeability" (rest of world) dates in the Visa Bulletin, so there is no Ghana-specific backlog, but sibling (F4) and married-child (F3) cases still take many years.

Employment. EB-2 and EB-3 cases use rest-of-world dates too. Most need a PERM labor certification from the employer first.

Diversity Visa. Ghana has historically been one of the most active DV lottery countries, and Ghanaians were eligible for DV-2026. To qualify you generally need a high school education or two years of qualifying work experience. The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is paused: visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. See DV lottery paused. Beware of websites and agents that charge to "enter" you or promise results; the only official entry site has been the State Department's own, and nobody can improve your odds. See scam protection.

The US Embassy in Accra handles all visa categories for Ghana, including visitor, student, work, and immigrant visas. Book appointments and check wait times on the embassy's website. For tips on the interview itself, see our visa interview guide.

If your case is refused under section 221(g), it usually means more documents or checks are needed; see 221(g) administrative processing.

For immigrant visas, the State Department's Ghana page lists:

• Police certificate: a criminal check from the Ghana Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Residents apply at CID headquarters in Accra and are fingerprinted. People living abroad can request it from the CID by courier; the State Department page lists the current address and fee. The State Department notes these certificates may not show every case.
• Birth certificate: a certified copy of the entry in the Register of Births from the Births and Deaths Registry.
• Marriage and divorce records: from the registry or court that recorded them. Customary marriages need proper registration.

You also need police certificates from other countries where you lived for the required period.

The largest Ghanaian communities are in the New York City area, especially the Bronx, and in northern New Jersey. There are also large communities in the Washington, DC area (Maryland and Virginia), Columbus (Ohio), Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and Worcester in Massachusetts. Ghanaian churches, hometown associations, and national associations help newcomers find housing and jobs.