The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has written to the United States (US) Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, to appeal for a special dispensation that will allow Ghanaian students who have gained admission to American universities to get visas to travel for their education.
The legislator said the appeal is premised on several petitions he has received from students who have complained that the earliest available visa appointment dates offered by the embassy are long and will make them miss deadlines for reporting to school.
He said the situation has “led to considerable anxiety and despair amongst many young Ghanaian students, which ostensibly undermines the long-cherished enviable reputation of the United States as a preferred academic destination for many Ghanaians.”
Mr Ablakwa said that although understandably COVID-19 has affected operations of various embassies, different embassies, including the US Embassy in Nigeria have introduced changes to their consular services to give priority to students who are seeking visas to travel for education.
“This development gives some solace that the US Embassy in Ghana is also capable of pursuing a similar path,” he said.
Read the full letter below:
