The United States Embassy in Ghana has cautioned Ghanaian football fans planning to travel to the United States for this year’s World Cup not to overstay their authorised period of stay.

At a news conference in Accra on Friday, February 20, Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson stressed that securing a visa and purchasing a match ticket do not exempt visitors from complying with American immigration laws.

He stated that every country enforces its own immigration regulations and expects visitors to abide by them.

“I think it’s important to clarify something. Every country has its immigration practices and laws. And this is certainly true of Ghana as well,” he said.

“When a government issues a visa to a visitor for whatever purpose, for whatever length of time, it’s really incumbent upon that visitor to respect the laws of the country that they are in. And that’s both in terms of their conduct in the country, as well as how long they stay.”

Mr. Olson explained that a visa does not automatically guarantee entry or determine how long a visitor may remain in the United States. Rather, he noted, the visa permits a traveller to board a flight and seek admission at a U.S. port of entry.

“The visa itself is a permission to apply for entry at the port of entry. So the visa allows you to get on the plane. Without the visa, the airline won’t let you travel,” he said.

“You get to the border at the airport… it is the Customs and Border Patrol officer who then officially grants you entry into the country. It is that individual who will determine how long you have to stay.”

According to him, while the standard period for a B visa is generally six months, the duration is not automatic and may be shorter, depending on the decision of the Customs and Border Protection officer.

“If they give you 90 days, you have 90 days. If you have the six months, six months is a long time. And I think we can all agree that six months is enough time to go watch the World Cup matches, spend some time with friends, go on a vacation if you want to do that, and still return,” he said.

He further reminded applicants that although Ghanaian travellers often receive five-year multiple-entry visas, that validity is not guaranteed and remains at the discretion of the consular officer.

“There is no automatic five-year multiple-entry. But that is generally the standard, and we generally apply that for most travellers,” he noted, adding that visitors who comply with visa terms would have opportunities to travel again in the future.

Mr. Olson disclosed that he has engaged Ghanaian authorities on the expected travel arrangements for the tournament and urged prospective travellers not to abuse the opportunity.

“We very, very strongly encourage people and expect people who are granted a visa to go to the U.S. and observe the terms of that visa, from the length of time they’re there to what they’re actually doing,” he said.

“People who have exceeded the terms of their visa are breaking the law. And needless to say, we take that very seriously in the United States.”