Getting a Canada or UK visa from Ghana
You can apply for a Canadian or UK visa from Ghana without a job offer for Canada, but you will need a sponsoring employer for the UK. The one step that catches Ghanaians out is the police certificate: unlike most countries, Ghana has no postal route, so if you are already living abroad you will need someone in Accra to apply for you.
Which route fits you
Canada: Express Entry. No job offer required. You are given a points score and invited if it clears the cut-off. Until 2 November 2026 a job offer adds no points. From 3 November 2026 an offer in a high-wage occupation adds 50 to 100 points, with no LMIA needed (what changes).
Canada: Provincial Nominee Programs. A provincial nomination adds 600 points, which in practice guarantees an invitation. This is the route to look at if your score is middling.
UK: Skilled Worker. A licensed employer must sponsor you before you apply. Then you must be paid whichever is higher, the general salary threshold or the published going rate for your job. For hospitality roles, see what chefs must be paid.
UK: Health and Care Worker. Reduced fees and no health surcharge. Ghanaian nationals are named by the Home Office among the main recipients of this visa.
→ Work out your Canadian points first: free, about two minutes, no account needed to see your score.
What it costs from Ghana
Cedi figures use the HMRC customs rate for September 2026 and are approximate.
| Official | Approx. GHS | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada PR, single adult | $1,590 (IRCC, effective April 30, 2026) | ≈ GHS 12,700 |
| Canada biometrics | $85 (IRCC, effective July 2, 2026) | ≈ GHS 680 |
| UK Skilled Worker, up to 3 years | £819 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) | ≈ GHS 12,300 |
| UK health surcharge | £1,035 (UK Home Office, effective February 6, 2024) per year | ≈ GHS 15,550 per year |
| UK Skilled Worker, 3 years all in | £3,924 (UK Home Office, effective April 8, 2026) | ≈ GHS 59,000 |
Canadian permanent residence and a three-year UK work visa look similar on the headline fee. They are not. The UK health surcharge alone adds around GHS 46,000 over three years, paid upfront.
What is different for Ghana
Your police certificate cannot be posted. This is the big one. The Ghana Police CID Headquarters in Accra issues it, and the application must be made in person, or by a friend or relative acting as your representative at CID HQ (IRCC Ghana). There is no mail-in option. If you are already outside Ghana, arrange this early and arrange it with someone you trust.
There are also two different forms depending on your situation. If you currently live in Ghana and have for three months or more, you complete a fingerprint check application. If you used to live in Ghana but have moved away, you complete a nominal vetting application instead, and that one additionally asks for your parents' full names and the last school you attended.
You are not exempt from proving English. The UK exempts nationals of 18 majority-English-speaking countries and Ghana is not among them (Appendix English Language). English being Ghana's official language makes no difference to the rule. Canada exempts nobody either.
A TB test is required for UK stays over six months. Six approved clinics across two cities: Akai House Clinic, Globe Health Assessment Clinic, IOM and Wellnest in Accra; Wellnest and IOM in Kumasi (clinic list). A certificate from any other clinic will be rejected.
Biometrics. Canada: one centre, in Accra, run by the International Organization for Migration in partnership with VFS Global, at Baptist Convention House, Abelenkpe Road. UK: Accra, with additional centres in Kumasi and Tamale.
Your degree needs assessing for Canada. Your university must send transcripts directly to the assessing body; you cannot forward them yourself. Secondary results go through WAEC, and unlike Nigeria, Ghana has no second examining body, so WAEC is the only one involved.
UK Ancestry almost certainly does not apply. It requires a grandparent born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. A grandparent born in the Gold Coast before independence in 1957 does not qualify (Appendix UK Ancestry).
Related routes and guides
Also see
What to do next
Common questions
- Do I need a job offer for Canada?
No. Express Entry does not require one. Until 2 November 2026 a job offer adds no points; from 3 November 2026 an offer in one of Canada's high-wage occupations adds 50 to 100 points, and 12 months of Canadian work in one can add up to 70.
- Can I get my police certificate if I am already abroad?
Not by post. Ghana requires an in-person application or a representative acting for you at CID headquarters in Accra. Start this before you need it.
- Do I need an English test if I studied in English?
For Canada, yes. There are no exemptions. For the UK, a degree taught in English can replace the test, but it must be confirmed by an approved assessment provider.
- Which form do I need for the police certificate?
Fingerprint check if you currently live in Ghana. Nominal vetting if you used to and have since left.
- How much money do I need to show for Canada?
A set amount that depends on family size, held in an account you can prove you control. Borrowed money does not count. Check the current figure.
- Is the TB test valid if I use my own doctor?
No. Only the six approved clinics listed by the Home Office.
Rules last checked on September 14, 2026.