Surge in Canadian visa applications from Ghana amid declining approval rates

The number of new applications and extensions processed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has shown a remarkable increase year-on-year. In 2021, the IRCC processed 9,109 applications from Ghana, with 4,225 approvals. This number nearly doubled in 2022, with 17,156 applications and 9,752 approvals.

However, the most dramatic rise occurred in 2023, when applications soared to 62,151, a more than threefold increase from the previous year. Of these, 33,756 were approved, reflecting a substantial rise in interest and acceptance rates.

The upward trend in applications has continued into 2024, with a staggering 63,375 applications submitted between January and April alone—surpassing the total number of applications for the entire previous year. However, while the volume of applications remains high, the approval rate has shown a noticeable decline.

Approval numbers for January and February were relatively strong, with 6,241 and 5,826 approvals respectively. However, March and April experienced significant drops, with approvals falling to 3,749 in March and further to 3,001 in April. This decline indicates that while interest in traveling to Canada remains high among Ghanaians, the approval rate is gradually returning to previous levels, suggesting a tightening in the criteria by IRCC.