Why is the second fee due after visa approval?
Because a visa is not in our gift. Charging the larger fee only after approval keeps the firm aligned with the family. It also keeps us from selling certainty we do not have.
Engagement
Two fees. Both named.
Hide-the-price sites are how this industry lost trust. The processing fee starts the academic work. The second fee is due after visa approval. Embassy and university charges sit outside both.
Processing
$1,000
About GH₵11,000
Due before work begins
- Academic review and destination advice
- University shortlist with visa and funding in view
- Application drafting and filing support
- Scholarship and aid strategy
- Document checklist and quality control
After visa
$2,500
About GH₵27,500
Invoiced when the visa is granted
- Visa file structure and interview rehearsal
- Guidance through the relevant application portal
- Pre-departure briefing
- A clean close of the engagement
Paid to others, not to us
School application fees, credential evaluation, English tests, SEVIS, visa MRV fees, biometrics, and flights are not Western Shores fees. We itemise them so a parent can see the true cash needed, not a marketing number.
How you pay us
Bank transfer or MTN MoMo, to details we send after the consult. We do not take cash in a chat. The invoice is in US dollars. Cedi figures on this page are a guide at GH₵11 to the dollar (August 2026), near the Bank of Ghana mid-rate. The day-of-payment figure is the one that counts. Read the engagement letter before you send money.
Does the processing fee cover embassy fees?
No. $1,000 covers our counsel. SEVIS, MRV, VFS, IRCC, and university application fees are paid to those institutions. We will tell you the amounts before you spend them.
What if we start and the profile cannot proceed?
The consult exists so that happens less often. If we accept an engagement and a later fact makes the case impossible, we will say so. Refunds are described in the terms you sign before the processing fee is taken.
Can we pay in cedis?
Yes. The fee is billed in US dollars. The cedi amount is confirmed on the day you pay, by bank transfer or MTN MoMo. As a guide in August 2026, $1,000 is about GH₵11,000 and $2,500 is about GH₵27,500, at GH₵11 to the dollar.
If the numbers are acceptable, the next step is a consult.
We will not take a processing fee on a file we do not believe we can work. Start with the fit check if you want the short version first.