Countries with higher overstay rates or non-compliance with visa regulations often face stricter visa policies, including increased scrutiny and potential reductions in the number of visas issued.
An overstay occurs when a traveler remains in the United States, or other countries beyond the period they were authorized to stay.
Most governments keep track of visa overstays as a measure to control, reduce the risks tied to illegal immigration, and enhance security. These adjustments are part of broader efforts by authorities to ensure that visitors respect the terms of their stay, and to prevent unauthorized overstay from becoming a major issue.
Depending on how many days of unlawful presence a defaulting visa holder has accrued, such persons may be barred from entering the United States for either 3 years, 10 years, or forever.
The data below, sourced from the US Entry/Exit Overstay Report for the 2023 Fiscal Year shows different data for 10 African countries like the total visas issued, the total number of overstays recorded and the overstay rate during the review period.
| Rank | Country | Visa Issued | Total overstay | Overstay rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Chad |
761 |
377 |
49.54% |
|
2 |
Congo-Brazzaville |
962 |
285 |
29.63% |
|
3 |
Sudan |
2627 |
691 |
26.30% |
|
4 |
Djibouti |
159 |
38 |
23.90% |
|
5 |
EQ. Guinea |
910 |
200 |
21.98% |
|
6 |
Eritrea |
667 |
134 |
20.09% |
|
7 |
Liberia |
1103 |
214 |
19.40% |
|
8 |
Togo |
1692 |
322 |
19.03% |
|
9 |
Sierra Leone |
3034 |
468 |
15.53% |
|
10 |
Burundi |
808 |
124 |
15.35% |
The overstay report showed that some immigrants from African countries who were issued the B1/B2 visas showed a very high overstay rate like Chad – 49.54%, Congo-Brazzaville – 29.63%, Sudan – 26.30% and Djibouti – 23.90%.
Some African nations however, presented moderate results and include; Mauritius – 0.9%, South Africa – 1.0% and Morocco – 1.8%.
Ghana recorded a moderate overstay rate at 7.50% for the B1/B2 visa category and recorded a higher overstay rate for the student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J categories), scoring 21%.
Ghana slightly surpassed Nigeria’s B1/B2 visa overstay rate which stood at 7.14%. Nigeria had a 15.60% overstay rate for student and exchange visitor visas.
Provisions have however, been made for individuals who have overstayed their visa expiry dates. Such individuals can get visa overstay forgiveness by applying for a waiver. To do this, the affected person will need to present a valid reason for remaining in the country amid other conditions.
