Lecturer affected by US Visa sanctions

A lecturer at the University of Cape Coast’s Faculty of Agriculture says he has been given a restrictive visa when he applied for a visa to attend a conference in the US.

Dr Michael Osei said he applied for a B1/B2 visa for a workshop which comes off between 30 April and 1 May in Oklahoma State.

But the visa which was released to him on Friday granted him only a single entry with 30-day validity. “it had a notice attached that there is an ongoing sanction attached on a certain category of people travellers and I have been considered as one of those people,” Dr. Osei told Joy News.

“They checked a box against a certain category, which said I am a Ghanaian executive or a legislative branch official and because of that my visa has been restricted,” he added.

The lecturer continued that the validity of the visa given him is from the date of issue, February 21-March 19, despite him making it known on his application that his workshop is from 30 of April to 1 May.

Mr. Osei said he does not understand why his visa issued him should expire before the date for which it was issued. According to him, his attempt to get an explanation from the US Embassy has been fruitless.

When asked whether he had any links with a legislator and an executive, his response was he applied as a normal Ghanaian civil servant.

He added: “I went to the interview with a letter from the university introducing me, employment, and promotion as well as confirmation letters, pay slips, an invitation from the organizers of the conference.”

He said so far four emails sent for redress have proven futile.