
Minority Whip pushes back against President Mahama’s Directive on OSP Bill
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11th December 2025 3:56:38 PM
4 mins readBy: Amanda Cartey

Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sabah Zita Benson, has revealed ongoing efforts to enhance the accessibility of Ghanaian products in the UK market.
According to Benson, the Ghanaian mission is working on securing the necessary certifications that would facilitate smoother entry and acceptance of goods from Ghana.
She explained, “We are trying to work on the necessary certificates to make it easier for Ghanaian products to be accepted on the markets here,” she said in a live interview via Zoom on WoezorTV Breakfast Café.

In November, the High Commissions of Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom in Ghana announced a one-week public awareness campaign to educate applicants against fraudulent agents.
This came in response to revelations made by the British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Rogg, that over 1,600 Ghanaians were duped by fraudulent agents when applying for UK visit visas in 2024.
The act, he said, has resulted in severe long-term consequences, including 10-year visa bans.
"In 2024, 1,632 applicants from Ghana used fraudulent means when applying for UK visit visas. While that represents only 4% of all Ghanaian applicants, it is still far too many people misled by agents into taking an action that resulted in a 10-year visa ban. Fraud is never worth the risk,"
Aligned with International Fraud Awareness Week (16–22 November 2025), this campaign is part of an international initiative with support from partner nations like New Zealand.
"Visa fraud continues to affect many Ghanaians, with fraudulent agents and misinformation leading to financial loss, emotional distress, and long-term travel restrictions. This initiative is part of a wider global effort led by UK Visas & Immigration," the joint statement issued on Monday, November 17, 2025, said.
Berenice Owen-Jones, Australian High Commissioner, added, "Australia is proud to stand with our international partners to combat visa fraud. The Fighting Visa Fraud campaign sends a clear message — always use trusted, official sources and beware of anyone promising shortcuts or guaranteed results."
In the meantime, the High Commissions advised all Ghanaians seeking visas to Australia, Canada, or the UK to apply exclusively through official government channels.
In July this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs debunked reports that it is responsible for the United States government's revision of the reciprocity schedule for a considerable number of African countries, including Ghana, reducing the B1/B2 visa validity from 5 years multiple entry to 3 months single entry.
Ghanaian visa applicants can no longer access the 5-year visa and multiple-entry.
It was reported that the Foreign Ministry had also limited the number of entries and duration given to US passport holders, hence the reciprocity by the US government.
However, in a statement, the Ministry refuted this claim, noting that consistent with bilateral arrangements, US passport holders are entitled to a maximum visa validity of five years, and in most instances, five-year multiple-entry visas are issued upon request.
"Some applicants, however, apply for single-entry visas owing largely to limited validity of their passports," the statement read.
Besides the maximum five-year multiple visas, Ghana also issues multiple-entry 6-month, one-year, two-year, three-year, and four-year visas based on various considerations.
From January 2025 to date, 40,648 visas have been issued by Ghana's missions in Washington, D.C., and New York. Out of this, 28,626 are multiple-entry visas to Ghana.
The statement further indicated that "The official statistics clearly demonstrate that contrary to false narratives, Ghana has issued, on average, an impressive 70.42% of multiple long-term visas to US passport holders, consistent with our bilateral arrangements."
The Foreign Ministry noted that the present limitations imposed by the United States vary substantially from the prior reciprocal arrangements that Ghana has kept with the United States.
The US' decision has sparked concerns, and the Ministry has acknowledged the legitimate concerns of Ghanaian travellers to the United States for professional, business, educational, touristic, medical and family purposes inconvenienced.
The Ministry has expressed its firm solidarity with all thoseGhana recognizes the sovereign right of every country to determine its visa regime.
While the Government of Ghana studies the current developments more closely and considers its options, it remains committed to working expeditiously with its longstanding partner, the US Government.
"We hope for an early resolution of the concerns that have led to the revision of the schedule which have been confirmed to be overstays, including by ensuring that the conduct of applicants align with the visa application procedures and requirements of the United States," the statement added.
Government has stated that it will, at its highest levels, sustain best efforts in strengthening relations with the United States in a manner that further enhances people-to-people relations in the mutual interest of both countries.
The updated guidelines, published under the U.S. Visa, reveal that Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country for Ghana also affect student visa applicants.
F-1 visa holders, who are typically enrolled in full-time academic programmes in the U.S., will now be issued visas that allow for only one entry and expire after three months.
Diplomats and government officials will, however, continue to receive multiple-entry visas with validity ranging from 24 to 60 months.
The K1 visa, issued to the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a US citizen intending to marry within 90 days of arrival in the United States, and the K2 visa, provided to the unmarried dependent child (under 21 years old) of a K1 visa holder, are single-entry visas that will be valid for 6 months.
The K3 visa, for the foreign-citizen spouse of a US citizen, and the K4 visa, for their unmarried dependent child (under 21 years old), are multiple-entry visas that will be valid for 24 months.
All other visa applicants, including those applying for B-class visas, which cover business and tourism travel, will now be issued single-entry visas valid for just three months.
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