COVID-19: Ablakwa appeals to US Embassy to prioritise Ghanaian student visa applicants

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has appealed to the United States Embassy to urgently formulate policy interventions to prioritise Ghanaian student visa applicants.

The ranking member of the Parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, in a letter, called on the US Embassy to review its new consular arrangements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I recognise and fully appreciate the enormous sacrifices consular officials are making in these difficult pandemic times to meet the consular expectations of visa applicants, however, I humbly request that some extra effort is made to address the legitimate concerns of Ghanaian students of offering them priority interview dates ahead of their academic deadlines as individual institutional exigencies demand. This is crucial, particularly, considering that many institutions are refusing to offer students extensions and declining requests to renew scholarships at later periods," parts of the letter indicated.

This, according to the lawmaker, will not only ensure that Ghanaian students get access to education abroad but also strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Read full letter below:

---classfm