A US-based content creator known as Maya has taken to social media to share her experience with the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D C, after visa processing delays left her unable to travel home to attend her grandmother’s funeral.
In a video message that has since gone viral, Maya revealed she submitted her passport to the Ghanaian embassy over six weeks ago to renew her visa paying for a 15- to 20-day service but has yet to receive any response or her passport.
“My grandma just died in Jamaica. I am devastated. I want to go home for her funeral and I can’t because of the Ghanaian embassy in Washington, D C,” she said.
Maya said her repeated efforts to reach the embassy through phone calls, emails, and live chat support have yielded no results.
“Nobody answers the phone. Nobody answers an email, this is unacceptable, Ghana. This is unreasonable.”
She also explained that while Jamaican passport holders can travel to Ghana visa-free, her current Jamaican passport has expired, making it impossible to travel without her Ghanaian visa.
“How is it you can accept people’s money, people who have a love and a genuine interest in visiting your country and you treat people like this?” I have a family emergency… and nobody has the courtesy to respond?”
Across social media and travel forums, applicants report similar frustrations: prolonged processing times, lack of communication, and unclear guidance.
Many say their travel plans have been upended or delayed due to what they describe as inefficiency at the embassy.
Meanwhile, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has blamed the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) logistical issues for the delays in the issuance of U S passports and visas.
On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, he revealed this information on the floor of Parliament in response to mounting worries about visa packages being late, which have caused applicants to become anxious in recent weeks.
The minister claims that while there has been a noticeable improvement in the procedures for issuing passports and visas, the last phase of delivery continues to be a problem.
“While the visa and passport issuance process has significantly improved, the primary challenge remains mainly in delays, largely due to logistical failures by the United States Postal Service,” he noted.
About 490 legitimately approved visa packages that were mailed on June 6 and 9, 2025, were improperly scanned, according to Ablakwa.
This resulted in tracking issues and general anxiety among applicants.
“In response, we have directly engaged USPS to mitigate future disruptions,” the minister assured Parliament.
Additionally, he described the actions taken to resolve the problem. In order to increase tracking and delivery efficiency, mail deployments are being staggered, with a daily limit of 200 items.
The minister reiterated the government’s resolve to guarantee that all Ghanaians obtain their travel documents in a timely and stress-free manner, and he said that monitoring systems are being reinforced to prevent similar occurrences from happening again.
