GHANA’S AMBASSADOR TO US CONFIRMS B1–B2 VISAS WILL STILL CONTINUE, ONLY IMMIGRANT VISAS ARE BEING PAUSED
Emmanuel Victor Smith, Ghana’s ambassador to the US, has made it clear that non-immigrant visas for Ghanaians, such as those for travel and business, are exempt from the US’s temporary suspension of immigration visa processing.
Following the US government’s statement that it will halt the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, prospective travellers are becoming increasingly concerned.
According to Ambassador Smith, B1–B2 visas are unaffected by the policy and are still fully functional.
The Ambassador clarified that the directive’s application is restricted to immigrant visas in a Facebook post on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The Ambassador clarified that the directive’s application is restricted to immigrant visas in a Facebook post on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
“The US State Department confirms that B1–B2 visas will continue. Only immigrant visas are being paused,” he stated.
The US State Department states that while consular staff examine visa screening processes in accordance with the long-standing “public charge” regulations, the suspension will go into effect on January 21 and last indefinitely.
The review attempts to improve evaluations of applicants’ propensity to become unduly reliant on US public welfare services.
The affected countries span multiple regions, including Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, and include Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Thailand and Yemen, among others.
NKONKONSA.com
