How to Bring Someone from Ghana to the USA
Are you an employer, a parent, or a friend wishing to bring someone to stay with you, either on a permanent or temporary visit to the United States of America? Without the correct information, the process can be hectic, but the Asetena Team has done some digging so that you won’t have to.
Before you travel, you will need a valid passport, and we assume you already have this. If you don’t, it is not too late to visit Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Once your passport is ready, you will need to apply for a visa.
There are two visas anyone can apply for, depending on what they will do in the States. If you apply to get an immigrant visa, you will stay in the USA permanently. With a nonimmigrant visa, you are traveling as a tourist, for business, or for medical treatment.
Either way, we will take you through the steps to apply to get your visa.
Immigrant Visa Information
Petition
Individuals who wish to immigrate to the United States of America and stay there permanently must have a petition approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Before they apply for the visa. This petition has to be signed by a qualified relative or potential employee at the USCIS office in the USA. Once the petition has been approved, you are eligible to apply for an immigrant or even nonimmigrant visa.
The petition can be filed online using the portal http://www.uscis.gov or filed with USCIS Chicago, Dallas, or Phoenix Lockbox facility.
If you are a relative who is living in Ghana, you can still file the petition online through the same portal above or by mail, using the addresses below.
For US Postal Service Deliveries
USCIS
Attn: 1-130
PO Box 650264
Dallas, TX 75265
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For FedEx, UPS, and DHL Deliveries
USCIS
Attn: 1-130
2501 S. State Hwy, 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Once the petition has been approved, the individual will need to pay a USCIS immigrant fee after they pick up your visa, a fee of $220.00. Still, before that, they will undergo a medical examination, which is the second process.
Medical Examination
The medical examination that the individual will undergo will be conducted by an Embassy- approved Panel Physician before your visa interview appointment at the US embassy (an email will be sent to you).
It is the individual’s responsibility to schedule the examination with one of the doctors listed below. Results from other physicians will not be accepted.
The individual needs to go along with the following;
- Your visa valid interview letter or printed email
- Your passport
- Three(3) recent taken 2” x 2” colour photograph
- A copy of your immunization records
- DS-260 confirmation page
Book a medical appointment with one of the following medical centers. Results from any other physician will not be accepted.
Akai House Clinic
No 1, Sixth Circular Road
Cantonments, Accra
Hours: Monday to Friday 8am- 4pm
Call: 030 278 4772/ 030278 4773/ 059 501 4334
Holy Trinity Medical Centre
Nii Amar Koranteng Street
Swanlake, North Kaneshie
Hours: Monday to Friday 8am- 4pm
Call: 057 829 1160/ 026 742 5160/ 057 858 5061/ 057 826 1160
The medical examination includes medical history review, physical examination, chest x-ray, gonorrhea test, blood test, and tuberculosis test for applicants two years of age or older.
The individual has to pay all medical fees. After completing the examinations, the doctor will send the results directly to the US embassy.
Any X-rays the individual takes will be given back to them, and they do not have to bring them to the interview.
However, they must take it with them when they travel for the first time.
Interview
Bring the following with you to the interview;
- A copy of your NVC interview letter ( this does not apply to diversity visa, fiancé(e), adoptive, or asylee/refugee applicants)
- Unexpired passport valid for six(6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States and a photocopy of the biographic page
- Two 2” x 2” color passport-size photograph
- Confirmation page from the Form DS-260 Application for an immigrant visa you submitted online.
- Your original birth certificate
You will be given a date for your interview, and you must be at the US embassy on that date. You should arrive at the embassy 15 minutes before your appointment.
Lateness is not encouraged. When coming to the embassy, individuals are not allowed to bring any battery-operated or electronic devices or large shoulder bags/ purses.
The only bag that can be permitted can be carried by hand. The individual can only carry plastic bags containing application-related papers, not briefcases or leather bags.
The individual is also not allowed to bring food items, cigarettes, sharp objects, or weapons.
If the individual should by any chance come along with any prohibited materials, there is no facility at the embassy that can store the items.
They must make arrangements to keep them somewhere before coming to the embassy.
The individual must also come along with an appointment letter and other documents, which the US embassy consulate will use to establish that the individual meets all requirements to receive the category of visa which they are applying for.
If the individual cannot attend the interview appointment, they must email [email protected] as soon as possible.
After the Visa Interview
The consulate will keep the individuals’ passports to prepare the immigration packet at the embassy.
Since there is no guarantee that the individual will receive a visa, they are advised not to sell their house, car, or other properties or even resign from work until the visa is ready. When the visa is approved, the embassy will place the individual’s visa on a page in their passport.
Some visa holders will receive a sealed envelope from the immigration authorities, an envelope that is not supposed to be opened.
The individual must enter the United States before the expiration date on their visa, which is usually six months from the issuance of the medical report.
Non-Immigration Visa Information
Nonimmigrant visas are easier to apply for. First of all, the individual needs to choose the type of nonimmigrant visa to apply for.
The individual, including children, must pay a nonrefundable and nontransferable visa application fee. The fee must be paid whether the visa is issued or not. The fees are listed in US Dollars but must be paid in the local currency.
The individual can go and pay the fee at any GT bank branch or even pay online at ibs.gtbghana.com. You will receive a receipt after payment. www.ustraveldocs.com provides a comprehensive list of the immigrant visa fees, all types, and their fees.
The individual must then complete and submit their Form DS- 160 application form and send it to the interview. The individual must book an appointment time. The earlier the book the time, the earlier they will be able to get the interview date and time they want.
Nonimmigrant visa applicants are encouraged to apply at least three months before the intended date of travel, so apply early.
The individuals’ photos and fingerprints will be taken at the embassy. The process is almost similar to that of immigrant visa applications.
After the interview, the consulate will decide through the information you provided and the guidelines you followed whether to grant you a visa or not.
Once you have your passport and visa, you are ready to travel.
Visit www.ustraveldocs.com or www.travel.state.gov for more information.
