A deep dive into recently released U.S. government data reveals a significant shift in visa overstay trends, with Ghana surpassing Nigeria in the misuse of B1/B2 and F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas between October 2022 and September 2023.
This detailed study sheds light on individuals who overstayed their authorized stay in the United States without registering a departure or an approved visa extension.
The figures show that there were 510,363 suspected in-country visa overstays, representing 1.31% of expected departures, as well as 54,792 out-of-country visa overstays, representing 0.14% of expected departures.
Ghana Visa Overstay Statistics
In 2023, 25,454 B1/B2 visas were issued to Ghanaians, typically granted for business or tourism purposes. Of these, 1,910 individuals overstayed their visas, equating to an overstay rate of 7.50%. For student and exchange visitor visas (categories F, M, and J), Ghana recorded an even higher overstay rate of 21%, with 537 out of 2,559 individuals holding visas remaining in the United States illegally.
The data also shows that visa compliance in Ghana has deteriorated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when 28,844 B1/B2 visas were issued and the overstay rate was 5.09%. In 2019, the student visa overstay rate was 12.7%.
Comparison with Nigeria
Nigeria, which issued 84,051 B1/B2 visas in 2023, recorded a slightly lower overstay rate of 7.14%, with 6,000 Nigerians overstaying their authorized duration. Nigeria had an overstay rate of 15.60% for student and exchange visitor visas, from 7,556 visas issued, significantly lower than Ghana’s 21% in the same category.
In 2019, Nigeria issued 177,835 B1/B2 visas with an overstay rate of 9.88%, while the student visa overstay rate was 13.43%.
Broader regional context
The report also highlights visa overstay rates for other African countries. Please note:
– Togo: 19%
– Burkina Faso: 12.13%
– Côte d’Ivoire: 7.48%
– Mali: 5.27%
Understanding Visa Overstays
A visa overstay occurs when a traveler remains in the United States beyond their authorized period of admission. U.S. Customs and Border Protection classifies these overstays as either in-country overstays (without a recorded departure) or out-of-country overstays (departure after the authorized period).
The report emphasizes that determining visa compliance involves more than simply comparing entry and exit data. Extensions or adjustments of status must also be considered to identify actual overstays..
This latest analysis reflects enhanced data collection methods designed to provide deeper insight into visa compliance trends among international travelers to the United States.