The Ghana Immigration Service was established in 1989 under the Immigration and Passport Unit – PNDC Law article 226 but has since then been moved to the Ministry of Interior. It primarily plays the roles of border management and control, refugee protection, and the application of Ghanaian passport–processing.
Basically, it ensures the safety of immigrants and refugees through regulation of entry, residence permits, employment of foreigners, visa application, and all there is in immigration. Consciously, this department has been able to promote economic relations with other countries and even foster socio-cultural diversity.
International and inter-country trade has been possible, foreign direct investments, technological and expertise transfer, and tourism have been boosted as a result thereof. As a steering wheel to propel the smooth running of these activities with the concern of national security, Ghana has deployed service officers. There are ranks in the Ghana immigration service as below.
Ghana Immigration GIS Ranks and Insignia
The Ghana immigration service ranks are broadly classified into either the senior or junior ranks. The Senior Director of Immigration Services, the highest rank in the land, their rank insignia has four symbols with a lapel badge and the official cap has double laurel leaves and the Ghana Immigration services logo. The Deputy Director insignia has three symbols, a lapel badge similar to that of the Directorate position but their cap has no logo.
Following in is the position of the Assistant Director, the cap has a single laurel, no logo but the rank insignia has a star. The Senior Principal Immigration Officer position concludes the senior division among the ranks in Ghana immigration service. The lapel patch has a vertical line, with the insignia having two stars while the cap is denoted by a curved line. In the junior positions, there are many levels or ranks of Ghana immigration service.
The Principal Immigration officer heads this division. Their position has a crown-like badge, a star with a circle-shaped wheel symbol. The assistant Principal immigration officer insignia is only less of the star. From the position of Chief immigration officer, senior immigration officer, immigration officer and the probationary immigration officer.
Their badges have three stars, two stars with a line, two stars and a single star respectively. They all have the crown but only the cap for the Chief Immigration officer has a curved line on the cap peak while the rest have no symbol on the cap.
Descending is the Chief Immigration Assistant position whose badge has a crown with insignia having three vertical lines like symbols with a plain cap. For the Senior Immigration assistant and the Immigration assistant position, they resemble the latter’s rank insignia only that the vertical lines decrease by a line for more junior positions.
This means the Chief Immigrant Assistant has three Lines like symbols; Senior Immigration assistant has two while the Immigration assistant has one. These are the Ghana Immigration service ranks and their symbols approved by the Ministry for the Interiors.