A recent report from the U.S. government reveals a significant change in visa overstay trends, with Ghana overtaking Nigeria in the misuse of B1/B2 and F, M, and J non-immigrant visas during the period from October 2022 to September 2023.
The detailed analysis reveals information about individuals who stayed in the United States past their authorized period without a recorded departure or an approved visa extension.
The findings indicate that there were 510,363 suspected in-country overstays, accounting for 1.31% of expected departures. Additionally, there were 54,792 out-of-country overstays, which represent 0.14% of the anticipated departures.
Statistics on Visa Overstay in Ghana
In 2023, Ghanaians were granted a total of 25,454 B1/B2 visas, which are generally issued for business or tourism. Among these recipients, 1,910 people overstayed their visas, resulting in an overstay rate of 7.50%. In the case of student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J categories), Ghana experienced an even higher overstay rate at 21%, with 537 out of the total 2,559 visa holders staying unlawfully in the U.S.
The data indicates that visa compliance in Ghana has deteriorated compared to pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, there were 28,844 B1/B2 visas issued with an overstay rate of 5.09%. The student visa overstay rate for the same year was 12.7%.
Comparison of Nigeria
In 2023, Nigeria issued 84,051 B1/B2 visas and had a slightly reduced overstay rate of 7.14%, with 6,000 individuals remaining beyond their authorized period. For student and exchange visitor visas, with a total issuance of 7,556 visas, the country recorded an overstay rate of 15.60%. This figure is notably lower compared to Ghana’s corresponding category overstay rate of 21%.
In 2019, Nigeria issued a total of 177,835 B1/B2 visas with an overstay rate of 9.88%. Meanwhile, the overstay rate for student visas stood at 13.43%.
Wider Regional Context
The report also underscores the overstay rates for various other African nations. In particular:
Togo: 19 percent
Burkina Faso: 12.13 percent
Ivory Coast: 7.48 percent
Mali: 5.27 percent
Comprehending Visa Overstays
An overstay happens when a traveler stays in the U.S. past their authorized admission period. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection classifies these situations as either in-country overstays, where there’s no recorded departure, or out-of-country overstays, involving departures after the allowed time has expired.
The report highlights that assessing visa compliance requires more than just comparing entry and exit data; it also involves taking into account extensions or adjustments to status to accurately identify genuine cases of overstaying.
This recent analysis demonstrates enhanced data collection techniques aimed at offering deeper insights into visa compliance trends among international travelers to the U.S.
