The United States Embassy in Accra has assured Ghanaians of working around the clock to clear the backlog of visa applications.
The assurance comes amidst complaints by business individuals, potential tourists and students who intend to travel to the states.
With the current wait time for appointments for most visa categories being 15 months, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer noted that it has increased its staff to help reduce the pressure.
“We’re working every day. We are working hard to attack the backlog, which is a global phenomenon and not specific to Ghana,” the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer told the Daily Graphic in an interview.
The US Ambassador noted that, the backlog began with the outbreak of COVID-19 adding that “it is a worldwide problem and I must say that some places are more acute than Ghana”.
Ms Palmer noted that travel to the United States for family, business, or tourism is beneficial for both Ghana and the United States.
She also mentioned that although the backlog has reduced since she assumed office, it is still not good enough hence the move to add additional staff.
In an interview with Graphic online, the US Ambassador revealed that despite the backlog, the consulate did over 12,000 student visa interviews last year alone and processed over 50,000 non-immigrant visas.
She therefore apologized for the inconveniences stating that “I don’t want the United States to appear unwelcoming. We want Ghanaian visitors who are coming as tourist or students and then coming back to Ghana to talk about their experiences and the relationship between the two countries.”
