Ghanaians denied US Visa in 2024 paid $6.6m in fees

The United States Embassy in Ghana will not refund over $6.6 million ($6,660,000) collected from 36,000 Ghanaian visa applicants whose applications were denied or left incomplete in 2024.
With an average visa denial rate of nearly 60% in 2024, many prospective travelers are left financially burdened after paying non-refundable fees for unsuccessful applications.
The decision, rooted in the longstanding U.S. Department of State policy of nonrefundable visa application fees, has reignited a national conversation about fairness, equity, and the financial burden placed on citizens from lower-income countries.
During a media briefing held in Accra on May 9, 2025, the U.S. Embassy’s Consular General, Elliot Fertik, disclosed that in 2024 alone, the Embassy received 61,000 nonimmigrant visa applications from Ghanaian nationals.
These include individuals seeking to travel to the United States for work, study, business, or tourism purposes.

Millions paid for denied visas
The Embassy raked in an estimated $11.2 million ($11,285,000) from visa application fees in 2024, calculated by applying the lowest nonimmigrant visa fee of $185 to all 61,000 applications.
From this pool of applicants, only 25,000 were granted visas, translating into over $4.6 million ($4,625,000) in application fees from successful applicants.
The remaining 36,000 applications—those denied or not completed—represent over $6.6 million in nonrefundable fees.
These applicants, despite not gaining access to the United States, received no form of reimbursement or fee credit.

Consumer protection agency slams refund policy
This figure has stirred debate among some Ghanaians, who question the fairness of non-refundable fees in the face of such a high denial rate.
They argue that while the United States has the right to set its visa policies, the economic impact on applicants from lower-income countries like Ghana should be taken into account.
The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), a leading consumer rights organization in Ghana, has strongly criticized the nonrefundable fee policy as unjust and exploitative.
The agency has been campaigning for years for some form of refund or credit system for applicants who are denied visas but has made no progress with either the U.S. Embassy or the Department of State.
The CPA insists that collecting fees and refusing refunds for denied applications places an undue financial burden on applicants and should be reviewed in light of international consumer protection standards.
The think tank argued that governments, especially powerful ones like the United States, should model fairness and integrity in their dealings with citizens of developing nations.

Nonimmigrant visa fees explained
According to the Embassy’s published fee structure, nonimmigrant visa application fees vary by visa category.
Non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas, such as those for tourists and students, are priced at $185.
Temporary worker and performer categories (H, L, O, P, Q, and R) carry a $205 fee, while the E-category (treaty trader and investor visas) costs $315.
Even at the lowest fee tier of $185, the total fees paid by Ghanaians seeking nonimmigrant visas in 2024 amounted to $11,285,000.
This sum represents a significant inflow of funds, paid upfront by applicants regardless of whether their visa applications are ultimately approved or denied.
This total represents one of the highest single-year intakes by a U.S. Embassy in Ghana.

A system that offers no guarantees
The U.S. visa system operates on the principle that application fees are payment for the processing of a request—not for the issuance of a visa.
Yet for many hopeful travelers, the reality is that the process is opaque and unpredictable.
Applicants receive little feedback when denied, and in most cases, are left without a clear understanding of why their request failed.
Critics argue that the system disproportionately penalizes applicants from developing countries, where income levels are significantly lower and visa fees constitute a major financial sacrifice.
For many Ghanaians, the $185 fee is the equivalent of more than two weeks’ wages, not including travel costs to the embassy or documentation expenses.

Calls for policy change grow louder
As frustration grows, many are calling on the U.S. government to reconsider its no-refund stance.
Proposals from civil society groups include partial refunds, rollover credits for reapplications, or exemptions for repeat applicants with strong documentation.
With increasing scrutiny on international visa systems and global inequality, the issue of nonrefundable visa fees is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
For now, the 36,000 Ghanaians who paid—and lost—will have to accept that the U.S. visa system values process over outcome, even when the cost is steep and the result is rejection.
By ELVIS DARKO, Accra