Not approving Ghana?

[whatsitoya 0]

I am a US citizen and my Ghanaian husband and I applied for his permanent residence in March 2008. There is nothing unusual about our marriage or case and both of our interviews went very well. USCIS has never in the last 26 months requested any additional evidence from us but we still have not received his green card. We inquired via InfoPass appointment last week and were told that our file was accidentally sent to storage and that there was no electronic information available about our case so she had to request to get the file sent back to the Fairfax, VA office. I asked our lawyer what I could do and this was his reply:

I visited CIS this morning and was told in no uncertain terms that no Ghanaian cases are being approved. The officer is as depressed about this as I am because she cannot see how they can automatically presume that every case is a fraud. I suggest another letter to your congressman.

Then I asked him this:

Why wouldn't they tell us this at our InfoPass appointment a week ago?

His reply:

Because you are not an attorney with whom they deal with regularly. They certainly had no authorization to make the comment and would deny it if someone claimed it was made. I do not know who is behind the blockage but it certainly is not the anyone below the supervisory level.

I'm curious....have any Ghanaians recently been approved? Recently as in the last two years? They certainly seem to be stalling on our case.

[lori7734 6]

I am a US citizen and my Ghanaian husband and I applied for his permanent residence in March 2008. There is nothing unusual about our marriage or case and both of our interviews went very well. USCIS has never in the last 26 months requested any additional evidence from us but we still have not received his green card. We inquired via InfoPass appointment last week and were told that our file was accidentally sent to storage and that there was no electronic information available about our case so she had to request to get the file sent back to the Fairfax, VA office. I asked our lawyer what I could do and this was his reply:

I visited CIS this morning and was told in no uncertain terms that no Ghanaian cases are being approved. The officer is as depressed about this as I am because she cannot see how they can automatically presume that every case is a fraud. I suggest another letter to your congressman.

Then I asked him this:

Why wouldn't they tell us this at our InfoPass appointment a week ago?

His reply:

Because you are not an attorney with whom they deal with regularly. They certainly had no authorization to make the comment and would deny it if someone claimed it was made. I do not know who is behind the blockage but it certainly is not the anyone below the supervisory level.

I'm curious....have any Ghanaians recently been approved? Recently as in the last two years? They certainly seem to be stalling on our case.

I know a k-1 was approved in ghana on the 9th of june...but married visa cant seem to get a interview

[Mr. K 8]

Looks like yet another situation that gives me reason to just move to Ghana where my family isn't unwanted.

[Virtuous Woman 0]

WOW....BUT I AM NOT DISCOURAGED...THE FAVOR OF GOD REST UPON ME...HE HAS THE FINAL SAY, WHAT THERFORE GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER LET NO MAN PUT ASUNDER.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Virtuous Woman

[ghanagal 2]

Mr. K I am right there moving too I have been thinking, me and my husband need to discuss it further when I visit Ghana next week.

[JustUs 3]

I am a US citizen and my Ghanaian husband and I applied for his permanent residence in March 2008. There is nothing unusual about our marriage or case and both of our interviews went very well. USCIS has never in the last 26 months requested any additional evidence from us but we still have not received his green card. We inquired via InfoPass appointment last week and were told that our file was accidentally sent to storage and that there was no electronic information available about our case so she had to request to get the file sent back to the Fairfax, VA office. I asked our lawyer what I could do and this was his reply:

I visited CIS this morning and was told in no uncertain terms that no Ghanaian cases are being approved. The officer is as depressed about this as I am because she cannot see how they can automatically presume that every case is a fraud. I suggest another letter to your congressman.

Then I asked him this:

Why wouldn't they tell us this at our InfoPass appointment a week ago?

His reply:

Because you are not an attorney with whom they deal with regularly. They certainly had no authorization to make the comment and would deny it if someone claimed it was made. I do not know who is behind the blockage but it certainly is not the anyone below the supervisory level.

I'm curious....have any Ghanaians recently been approved? Recently as in the last two years? They certainly seem to be stalling on our case.

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[a&o 4]

Looks like yet another situation that gives me reason to just move to Ghana where my family isn't unwanted.

Yes, but have you ever dealt with the Ghana Immigration Service? That's no picnic, either.

[Mr. K 8]

Mr. K I am right there moving too I have been thinking, me and my husband need to discuss it further when I visit Ghana next week.

Best believe it. That’s the plan anyway eventually. There is a community of expats from the U.S. in Ghana. People have been making these moves to and connecting with Ghana since the days of Nkrumah.

It’s nice to have options.

Yes, but have you ever dealt with the Ghana Immigration Service? That's no picnic, either.

True. I've heard stories about the immigration there. It's still not as bad to deal with as the U.S. If you are married to a Ghanaian, you are pretty much in like Flynn. Other than that, starting a business or an NGO is an option.

As far as I can tell, it’s much easier for an ordinary U.S. citizen to live in Ghana than it is for an ordinary Ghanaian to just visit the U.S.

[a&o 4]

True. I've heard stories about the immigration there. It's still not as bad to deal with as the U.S. If you are married to a Ghanaian, you are pretty much in like Flynn. Other than that, starting a business or an NGO is an option.

As far as I can tell, it’s much easier for an ordinary U.S. citizen to live in Ghana than it is for an ordinary Ghanaian to just visit the U.S.

Well, yes and no. You can always dash (bribe) your way out of the official paperwork routes, but as far as starting a business and working legally or getting a permanent residency status, that's not easy or quick (unless you find the right person to dash, that is). As a foreigner, you would need to invest $10k (last I checked) to start a business. That's an upfront fee. Then, it's mainly the foreign businesses that the Ghana tax collectors keep track of: very close track. So, as long as you have the money, you're all set.

One thing I found in my many trips to the Ghana Immigration Service office was that if you looked like you are enjoying the big, sunlit room with the super cold air conditioning and don't mind waiting, they will call you right up. If you seem frustrated or in a hurry, forget about it! Then, if you have to go sit in some office because something is "not correct" with your status or forms, it really helped me, at least, to talk lovingly about my Ghana man (if it was a male immigration officer).

[Mr. K 8]

Well, yes and no. You can always dash (bribe) your way out of the official paperwork routes, but as far as starting a business and working legally or getting a permanent residency status, that's not easy or quick (unless you find the right person to dash, that is). As a foreigner, you would need to invest $10k (last I checked) to start a business. That's an upfront fee. Then, it's mainly the foreign businesses that the Ghana tax collectors keep track of: very close track. So, as long as you have the money, you're all set.

One thing I found in my many trips to the Ghana Immigration Service office was that if you looked like you are enjoying the big, sunlit room with the super cold air conditioning and don't mind waiting, they will call you right up. If you seem frustrated or in a hurry, forget about it! Then, if you have to go sit in some office because something is "not correct" with your status or forms, it really helped me, at least, to talk lovingly about my Ghana man (if it was a male immigration officer).

Yes, it's a $10k investment for foreigners to start a biz (jointly owned). It's nothing to sneeze at, but it's doable. I know plenty of Black Americans now making a home in Ghana, some retired, some running businesses, some with NGOs, etc. And I know more that are in the planning stages of moving there, with businesses already in mind or currently established. I would have no problem with any of my ventures being scrutinized, as I am always on the up and up, and have plenty of experience in biz. And another option is getting a work permit from a company. That's unlikely for most people, however, if you know the right people it can happen. I know this for a fact.

I have spoken at length with expats who now live there about the difficulties in dealing with Ghana immigration. I certainly would not make it seem like a walk in the park. But as compared to the U.S., it is not as bad. On my several visits to Ghana where I stayed for months at a time, all I had to do was submit an application to the Ghana embassy in the U.S. to get a visa. Outside of schooling and other special reasons, there is pretty much no way an ordinary Ghanaian (one without "compelling" reasons to return) will get a visitor's visa to the States straight up. Ghanaian wives of Ghanaian husbands who are in the U.S. working are not even able to get a visa to come here. As I understand it, being married to a Ghanaian will make things a lot easier for one to establish a presence and live there.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Mr. K