HowardandFlorence

There is no good source of information about this online so I went to the Ghana immigration office in Accra last November to ask about permanent residence. I spoke with an immigration officer for about half an hour. He told me to apply for permanent residence after I have been married for two years. My wife is Ghanaian. I believe the process is easier for the spouse of a Ghanaian citizen. He told me you get one year of residence to start with and can re-apply for more. Cost is in the $1000 range. I got the impression the immigration officer has plenty of discretion in these matters.

This link might be helpful:

http://www.ghanaimmigration.org/indef_residence.htm

If you make a business investment, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre can help with permanent residence.

The spouse of a Ghanaian citizen can apply for citizenship after 5 years of permanent residence. Dual citizenship is allowed in Ghana. If you're a USC, be careful and do your homework because there are some conditions where you can lose your US citizenship.

Residence is easy for your husband because Nigeria is an ECOWAS country.

H

We have a beautiful baby girl born last November. What a blessing!

We decided that our first child would be born in Ghana because Florence has very good family support there. She traveled from Alaska to Accra last August, 30 weeks into her term. All went well and our daughter was born safe and sound.

I am the US Citizen. I traveled to Ghana when our daughter was three weeks old to visit and to assist with the paperwork. Don't bother trying to make an appointment with the embassy via e-mail or postal mail. I tried that and received no response. I finally called them and was told to make an appointment online through their website. That worked. The three of us went to the US Embassy on Dec 5 to file for our daughter's Report of Birth Abroad and first passport. We had the following items with us:

for report of birth abroad

completed form DS-2029

completed form DS-5507

certified marriage license

proof of termination of prior marriage

valid US passport for US Citizen parent

certified copy of US birth certificate for US Citizen parent

evidence of physical presence in the United States for at least five years

child's birth certificate

$100 fee (Cedi equivalent)

for child's US passport

completed form DS-11

two passport photos

$105 fee (Cedi equivalent)

The embassy visit took several hours but went well. The consular official carefully examined the passport photo and compared it to our daughter's appearance. Florence had a new Ghana passport issued in her married name. The consular official wanted to see the K1 visa and US admission stamp in her OLD passport. I scanned that and sent the image via e-mail when I returned to the US. Florence made a second trip to the embassy with the requested documents on Dec 10 and was given a ticket to return on Dec 27. She returned on that date and picked up the Report of Birth Abroad and baby's first passport. The overall experience at the embassy was OK.

Mother and baby traveled to the US in early February and are doing well. Florence complains a little about the Alaska cold but is adapting.

As they were leaving, an official from Ghana Immigration wanted to know why our child had a US passport but no Ghana visa. Florence was able to manage the situation without being fined or delayed but it was tense. A Ghana passport for our child would have avoided the problem.

If your child travels internationally with only one parent, it is a good idea to have a consent letter from the other parent. Florence had one. No one asked for it but you never know..

This stuff is worth a read:

7 FAM 1130 ACQUISITION OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH ABROAD TO U.S. CITIZEN PARENT

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/86757.pdf

I am not a lawyer but it looks like the OP is OK with the residency. If you can convince the CO of your physical presence in the USA and your blood relationship to the child the CRBA should be issued.

The most important thing right now is to make sure your relationship is solid. Take your time. The post/calls/internet is not so expensive. Be careful about sending money. Is he employed? Don't worry about the immigration process too much during your next trip. Go meet his family. Make sure what he tells you during chat sessions and on the phone is consistent with what you see while you are there. Both Florence and I were very careful about each other at first. It turned out very well and she is here with me in the USA. I learned that it is good to go slow and listen very carefully.

During this trip, take lots of pictures and keep your boarding passes. USCIS and the State Department like to see pictures of you both along with other family members. Take some pictures with a public landmark in the frame. Ask permission before taking pictures of Independence Arch - I almost got arrested!

Florence was issued a Social Security card in her maiden name about 4 weeks after she arrived here from Ghana. Once we were married, we went back to the Social Security office and showed them our certified marriage license, Ghanaian passport with valid K-1 visa and unexpired I-94 card and the original SS card. There was about 2.5 weeks left on her I-94. We were told there had to be some time left on the I-94 for the name change to be processed but I don't remember how much. She received the new SS card in her married name a few days before we applied for AOS.

Moving from Accra Ghana to Fairbanks Alaska was a big change for Florence. We bought a warm coat before we left Accra so she could deal with shock of getting off the plane in Alaska. We had a cold snap here in Fairbanks last month. It was between -30 and -40 for a week. She took it well but did complain some. Now, anything above zero is manageable. She still sleeps in long thermal underwear. I think the short days have been just as difficult as the cold for her.

Florence went to the US embassy at 7:30 this morning as scheduled. She was issued her visa and sealed envelope. I just bought her airline ticket to the USA.

When Florence picked up packet 3 and 4 in June, the interview was scheduled for January 2012. We were disappointed by the long wait but at least we had a date. On July 28, Florence got a call from the embassy informing her that the interview was moved up to August 24. I received an e-mail from the embassy confirming this. Very nice. We had to scramble to gather the documents and get her medical exam but she was ready on time. The CO was polite and professional. Her documents included 10 photos, 10 months of phone bills showing lots of calls, three chat sessions, 2 years tax transcripts, bank letter, my divorce decree and all the required forms and other docs. The CO asked for more pictures from my first visit in Nov 2010. Fortunately, she had printed some on her own so she produced them. The CO said all our paperwork was in order and that he believed the relationship was genuine. Approved! He gave her a blue slip with a visa pickup date next month. Florence told me she was very worried because most people were denied that day. I can't wait to see her.

The Visa Journey community was a great help during this process. Thanks

Florence picked up her application packet at the US embassy in Accra today. It took most of the day with long lines and much waiting but we finally have an interview date - January 17, 2012. The long delay is a disappointment but at least we know what will happen next and when it will happen. I'm planning my next visit to Ghana The only thing I am not looking forward to is the long, expensive flight from Alaska but once I am there with her, it's all worth it.

Received NOA2 letter dated May 3 (never got e-mail) AND a letter from NVC dated May 5 in the mail on May 9. The NVC letter had an ACC2011 case number. I called the NVC on May 23 to find out if our file had been sent to Accra. I was told the case was in AP and there was no way to know when it would be sent. I called again this evening (June 3) and was told our case file was sent to Accra on May 4. So the story from NVC was not consistent.. I am just relieved our case is moving.