The United States Embassy in Ghana has assured its commitment to resolving delays in expedited student visa appointments, which have caused significant frustration among Ghanaian students.
In recent weeks, many students have raised concerns over the prolonged visa application process, citing the risk of missing academic deadlines and jeopardising their educational opportunities.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, December 19, Stacy Comp, the Visa Chief at the US Embassy in Accra, acknowledged the challenges faced by affected students.
She assured host Bernard Avle and the public that the embassy is taking immediate steps to address the issue.
“I can assure you that I am going to take this issue back and go into the system and see what is going on and contact our third-party contractor to see what the problem is, and then I will look at them and see if we can try to accommodate their request,” Ms. Comp stated.
She also apologised for the inconvenience caused, attributing the delays to issues with the embassy’s third-party contractor responsible for managing the appointment system.
As part of efforts to expedite the process, Ms. Comp indicated that the embassy would request a comprehensive list of students currently awaiting expedited visa appointments. This would enable a thorough review and prioritisation of their applications.
“We really appreciate the interest in studying in the United States and that the ability to have these bilateral exchanges is foundational to the US-Ghana relationship,” she emphasised.
The delays have sparked anxiety among students, some of whom are at risk of forfeiting admission offers or missing the start of their academic programs. Educational institutions in the US are also being affected by the delayed enrolment of international students.
Affected students and their families have called on the embassy to enhance its operational systems and ensure future visa applications are processed without such disruptions.
The US Embassy’s reassurance provides hope for a swift resolution, with expectations that immediate action will restore confidence in the visa application process and safeguard the academic aspirations of Ghanaian students.