The U.S. Consul General in Ghana, Elliot Fertik, has warned Ghanaians planning to travel to the United States for the upcoming FIFA World Cup against overstaying their visas, saying such violations could affect future travel opportunities for other applicants from Ghana.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Friday, Fertik said U.S. authorities were concerned that some travellers could use the tournament as an opportunity to remain in the country illegally after the event.
“There are some people who think they can use this as an opportunity to overstay or just to illegally stay in the United States,” he said. “Not only are they breaking the law, but they’re also making it harder for other Ghanaians.”
The warning comes as interest grows among football fans seeking visas ahead of the tournament, which is expected to attract large numbers of international visitors to the United States.
Fertik said U.S. immigration authorities monitor visa overstay rates by nationality and that higher rates can influence future visa processing and approvals.
“We do pay attention to how many people from a given country overstay, and the higher that rate, frankly, the harder it is sometimes to be able to give visas and to facilitate the level of travel that we want to,” he said.
He urged travellers to comply with visa regulations, adding that overstaying was “not worth the risk.”
