The United States of America has lifted visa restrictions on Ghana, restoring access to longer-term visas after months of strained relations over deportation disputes.

Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Ablakwa, confirmed the decision on Friday, announcing that Ghanaians can once again apply for five-year multiple-entry visas.

The change followed “months of high-level diplomatic negotiations” and was formally communicated to Ablakwa by Allison Hooker, US Under secretary of state for political affairs, during bilateral talks at the UN General Assembly in New York.

“This good news means Ghanaians can now benefit from five-year visas and other enhanced consular privileges,” Ablakwa wrote on X. “I am pleased that our efforts have finally paid off.”

The move marks a reversal of the restrictions imposed earlier this year, when Washington slashed visa validity for Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ethiopia to just three months and limited them to single entry. The US Department of State said the policy was part of a global reciprocity programme, ensuring that American citizens receive similar treatment abroad.

Ghana had taken a different approach to the issue, with President John Mahama disclosing that his government had agreed to receive West African nationals, including Nigerians, deported from the US. This concession appears to have unlocked a thaw in relations between the two countries.

On Saturday, the US embassy in Accra confirmed that the maximum visa validity periods for Ghanaians had been restored. “The maximum validity allowed for the B1/B2 visitor visa is again five years, multiple entry,” the embassy said. “The maximum validity for the F1 student visa is again four years, multiple entry.”