Ghana overtakes Nigeria in U.S. visa overstay rates, new report reveals

A recent U.S. government report has revealed a significant shift in the visa overstay patterns for African nationals, with Ghana surpassing Nigeria in overstay rates from October 2022 to September 2023. The report highlights individuals who overstayed their B1/B2 (business/tourism) and F, M, and J (student/exchange visitor) visas in the United States.

In 2023, the United States issued 25,454 B1/B2 visas to Ghanaians, with 1,910 individuals overstaying their visas—equating to a 7.5% overstay rate. For student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J categories), Ghana’s overstay rate was even higher, reaching 21%, as 537 out of 2,559 visa holders overstayed their permitted stay.

This marks a significant rise in Ghana’s overstay rates compared to 2019, when 28,844 B1/B2 visas were issued, and the overstay rate stood at 5.09%. Similarly, the overstay rate for student visas in 2019 was 12.7%.

Nigeria, which received a larger number of B1/B2 visas in 2023—84,051 in total—saw a slightly lower overstay rate of 7.14%, with 6,000 Nigerians remaining beyond their authorized stay. For student and exchange visitor visas, the overstay rate for Nigerians was 15.6%, notably lower than Ghana’s 21%.

Looking back to 2019, Nigeria issued 177,835 B1/B2 visas, with an overstay rate of 9.88%, while the student visa overstay rate stood at 13.43%.

The report also examined visa overstay rates across other African countries, revealing that Togo had the highest rate at 19%, followed by Burkina Faso at 12.13%. Other countries such as Ivory Coast (7.48%) and Mali (5.27%) also had notable overstay rates.

A visa overstay occurs when an individual remains in the U.S. beyond their permitted stay without an authorized extension or adjustment of status. The report categorizes overstays into two types: in-country overstays, where no departure is recorded, and **out-of-country overstays, where the individual departs after the authorized period.

While the report sheds light on visa non-compliance trends, it also emphasizes the complexity of determining actual overstays, noting that extensions or changes in visa status may complicate the identification of true overstayers.

This shift in visa overstay patterns has raised concerns about visa compliance, particularly as it pertains to African nationals. It highlights a growing trend of overstays, especially among students and those on temporary business or tourist visas. The U.S. government has been improving its data collection methods to better understand and address these trends.