We will like to beckon on you for your support to render an appeal to the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Ghana concerning the 19-24 month delay in scheduling interviews for family-based immigrant visas.

This is a sensitive topic but must be addressed. The U.S. immigration process for family-based immigrant visas occurs in three main steps: (1) the U.S. Citizen submits form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative (2) if approved, the U.S Citizen and the applicant (immigrant) submit supporting financial and other documentation to the National Visa Center (NVC) in the U.S. for review (3) once approved, the NVC retains the case until the U.S. embassy or consulate in the immigrant’s country of residence or citizenship is ready to schedule an interview appointment for the immigrant, at which time the case is transferred to the appropriate embassy or consulate. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire process took an estimated 12 to 18 months for immediate relatives of U.S. Citizens and 24 to 30 months for families (spouses or children under 21) of Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs). Since March 2020, the U.S Embassy in Ghana has limited consular processing for immigrant visas as a health and safety precaution on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. This caused a considerable backlog of immigrant visa cases. For example, in April 2022, the U.S. Embassy issued immigrant visa interview appointments for spouses of U.S. Citizen whose cases were approved, or ‘documentarily qualified’, by the NVC in July 2020. With the easing of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and indeed, the end of the mask mandate in Ghana, as proclaimed by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo on March 27th, 2022, we would like to call for the U.S. Embassy, Ghana to expeditiously address the backlog of immigrant visa cases awaiting interview appointments. 

Family separation takes a terrible emotional and psychosocial toll on families. The adverse effects of the long distance between couples, and parents and their children can have a tear on marriages and family relationships, respectively. One of the most troubling scenarios is couples who would like to start a family, but are hindered by the physical distance, and the financial burden of maintaining dual households. In addition, most couples cannot afford to spend several months together, either in Ghana or a third country in order to try to conceive. Another common unfortunate scenario is the inability of family members to be physically present to provide emotional support and assistance with daily activities for their ailing U.S. Citizen or LPR relatives, or vice versa. Devastatingly, there are instances, where families are not able to pay their last respect to their late relatives, which takes a huge toll on the surviving relatives. It is heartbreaking to see families and relationships torn by the current immigrant visa delay. 

Below, we would like to share a few impact statements by families who have been affected by the immigrant visa backlog:

“My husband and I got pregnant last year and [date redacted] of this year was my due date. When I went into labour they check me and my baby had passed away at 40 weeks and 2 days. This was our first baby. We are still in shock…it was such a hard thing to pass though because we are apart from each other. I submitted an expedite [request] for mental health/depression and for my husband to be here for [the] funeral of our child and was denied. They said they cannot give us priority when so many others are waiting as well. It really hurt that [the US Embassy] Ghana is doing this to us. Depression has me and my husband in a choke hold. We are fighting so hard just to make it”

[Anonymous IR1 Visa Applicant]

Case details: Family-based immigrant petition initiated in December, 2019.

Documentarily qualified and eligible for visa interview appointment since January 2021.

Wait time for visa interview appointment: 15 months and counting as of April 22, 2022.

“…..it’s been a very long wait and during this waiting period it causes stress, frustration, and self-doubt and have you questioning why some embassies are moving faster than the U.S. Embassy, Ghana. Even Nigeria is faster. This process was supposed to take a little over a year, now my husband and I are going on 3 years…. this separation is killing us slowly, causing anxiety and other harmful things to our health and marriage…”

[Anonymous IR1 Visa Applicant]

Case details: Family-based immigrant petition initiated in [date redacted] 

Documentarily qualified and eligible for visa interview appointment since [date redacted] 

Wait time for visa interview appointment: [redacted] (Applicant transferred case to U.S. Embassy in Brazil due to the long wait times at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana)

“It’s sad. My small girl is seven months old and [I] am still yet to hold and feel her physically. If one is not emotionally strong, you can’t survive this”

[Anonymous IR1 Visa Applicant]

Case details: Family-based immigrant petition initiated in March, 2018.

Documentarily qualified and eligible for visa interview appointment since September 2020.

Wait time for visa interview appointment: 19 months and counting as of April 22, 2022

We understand that the COVID pandemic has significantly slowed visa processing and we have been patient thus far. However other U.S. embassies and consulates in African countries like Nigeria (estimated population: 206 million), Kenya (estimated population: 53 million) and Sierra Leone (estimated population: 7 million) are far ahead of the embassy in Ghana and are working on cases that were accepted by the NVC in December 2020, November 2021 and February 2022, respectively. One of the few countries that has a similar immigrant visa backlog (14-18 months) is Pakistan, which has an estimated population of 220 million people (as of 2020). Ghana’s estimated population-30 million (as of 2020) is only a fraction (~15%) of Pakistan’s and yet we have a larger backlog than they do. 

For the reasons we have detailed in this petition, we are appealing to the U.S. Embassy to:

1. Issue formal communication detailing the Embassy’s plans to expeditiously reduce the 20-22 month backlog of immigrant visa cases, particularly spousal visas.

2. Grant case transfers to neighboring U.S. Embassies and Consulates, such as the U.S Embassy in Togo, if there are no plans to expeditiously reduce the current spousal visa backlog by the end of the year 2022.

Please help desperate families reunite with their loved ones with the help of your voice and influence.

We look forward to your assistance and support with this matter.

Sincerely,

Immediate Relatives and Family Members of US Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents.https://gh.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/emergency-contact/