WEST KINGSTON JAMAICA BLOOD SHED!!!!!!

[Matt&Kaci 3]

Thanks JAEnglish, I read him this post this morning. He lives in the country on the other side of JA and before we started this whole process he had never even BEEN to Kingston. He says if the embassy is open he is going... If the buses are not running he will get his brother to drive him.

He is watching the same TVJ news that I am. There are people on this board who are in Kingston, so nuh mind mi if I would like their input.

Im with you JAPrincess, our interview date is in 15 days and I will be flying in for it. My fiancee was suppose to go to Kingston this Thursday to pick up her police certificates but she said it is not good, she has been speaking to her family in Kingston and they said its bad. She has to travel from Montego Bay so I told her to contact the Ministry of Netional Security and see if we can pick the Police Certificates up on June 7th, the day before our interview so she doesn't have to make a trip down there on Thursday. We will be traveling using her Taxi friend, its gonna cost a couple hundred but at this point in the process it really doesn't matter anymore...Good Luck on your interview, and lets hope this mess gets cleaned up before our big days come...

[BlessMeIndeed 0]

Kingston declares state of emergency Jamaica police under attack and streets barricaded by supporters of alleged druglord Christopher Dudus Coke. My husband say this is getting bad, but the side of town he resides on is not in the same area as the fighting. I just read online that 2 ppl was killed and 6 others injuried near the airport but flights has been coming in/out as schedule. I pray that God cover everyone thats not involved in this. I leave next week on the 3rd and I pray things are better or eles I'm going to have to reschedule,maybe the US EMBASSY will expediate the visa process and allow for them to be picked up the same day so the ones that has been granted visa could exit the country expeditiously.

There were no immediate reports of casualties Monday, but two police officers were killed and six others were wounded in a shooting late Sunday near Norman Manley International Airport outside Kingston, police said.

The airport's main entrance remained open, and flights were arriving and departing on schedule, said Paul Hall, senior vice president for operations at the Airports Authority of Jamaica.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/24/jamaica/index.html

Edited May 24, 2010 by BlessMeIndeed

[bajankutie 4]

Thanks JAEnglish, I read him this post this morning. He lives in the country on the other side of JA and before we started this whole process he had never even BEEN to Kingston. He says if the embassy is open he is going... If the buses are not running he will get his brother to drive him.

He is watching the same TVJ news that I am. There are people on this board who are in Kingston, so nuh mind mi if I would like their input.

What part is your husband from?

[JAPrincess 27]

What part is your husband from?

Hanover

[bajankutie 4]

Hanover

ok my husband is to he is from axe and adaze

[Matt&Kaci 3]

We all just need to stay positive and believe everything is going to turn out alright. I pray everyone's interview goes on as sceduled and that everything settles down in Kingston soon...Good Luck everyone...

[bajankutie 4]

Routine Consular Services suspended for Tuesday, May 25

The U.S. Embassy in Kingston announces that the Consular Section will be closed to the public on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. American citizens and other individuals with appointments to apply for passports, non-immigrant and immigrant visas, or other routine consular services should not come to the Embassy on May 25. The Consular Section will contact these individuals to reschedule their appointments.

American citizens in Jamaica requiring emergency assistance on May 25 should contact the American Citizens Services Unit at (876) 702-6450 or e-mail that office at KingstonACS@state.gov.

[JAPrincess 27]

[Matt&Kaci 3]

ABCNEW.COM reported that Christopher Coke may want to cooperate. Jamaican forces stated that they are moving in to arrest him......

[JAPrincess 27]

ABCNEW.COM reported that Christopher Coke may want to cooperate. Jamaican forces stated that they are moving in to arrest him......

sorry, but IMHO ABCNEWS noh know what a gwan...

[Matt&Kaci 3]

sorry, but IMHO ABCNEWS noh know what a gwan...

I guess we will find out shortly, wont we.

[Mrs. Palmer 5]

I am actually applauding the US gov't and Kingston for cancelling interviews/appts scheduled for tomorrow. For once they are being PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE! Hell I think they should go ahead and just cancel them the rest of this week. I know how bad people want these appts, but to risk your life to do so? You can't be with your SO if they are dead. I would rather a delay. I'm praying for a resolution to this madness soon.

[Sasha_Cool 0]

I am actually applauding the US gov't and Kingston for cancelling interviews/appts scheduled for tomorrow. For once they are being PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE! Hell I think they should go ahead and just cancel them the rest of this week. I know how bad people want these appts, but to risk your life to do so? You can't be with your SO if they are dead. I would rather a delay. I'm praying for a resolution to this madness soon.

They need to delay fare hikes as well. I am with you on delaying things for awhile. I spoke to my sis in Portmore last night and her biggest concern is if ithe violence going to spread to them in Portmore.

[sugarapple 1]

I am praying they dont go rampant all over Jamaica. I pray that it ends quickly and I pray that Dudus sees what is really happening to his people with him being an intelligent BUSINESS MAN and turn himself in, Lord I pray!!!!!!

[JaEnglishGirl 34]

US Embassy suspends services; visa fees to go up

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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THE Embassy of the United States in Kingston will be closed to the public today, in what is seen as a precautionary measure in the wake of the current tension in the Corporate Area — sparked by gunbattles between the security forces and criminals bent on preventing the arrest of Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is facing extradition to the United States.

In a release yesterday, the embassy said "American citizens and other individuals with appointments to apply for passports, non-immigrant and immigrant visas, or other routine consular services should not come to the embassy" today.

"The Consular Section will contact these individuals to reschedule their appointments," the embassy said, adding that American citizens in Jamaica requiring emergency assistance today should contact the American Citizens Services Unit at 702-6450 or e-mail that office at KingstonACS@state.gov.

The suggestion is that the embassy is expecting normality to return to the capital city by tomorrow. Jamaican security forces yesterday entered Tivoli Gardens to flush out 'Dudus' supporters who had barricaded the community to prevent the arrest of Coke.

Just before that, the embassy announced increased visa fees, starting June 4 when it will introduce a multi-tiered system in which petition-based visas will cost more than non-petition based visas.

The additional revenue will come at a time when the number of Jamaicans applying for US non-immigrant visas has nose-dived, following fears that the embassy has been cancelling visas of certain Jamaicans, because of dissatisfaction with the drawn-out extradition process. The US has denied that it grants visas on a political basis.

The schedule for the new fees is as follows:

Non-petition-based visas

* Visitor (B1/B2) — $140

* Crewmember (C1/D) — $140

* Student visas (F1 and M1) — $140

* Treaty Trader/Investor (E1 or E2) — $390

Petition-based visas:

* Temporary skilled workers (H-1B) — $150

* Temporary seasonal workers (H-2B) — $150

* Intra-company transferees (L1) — $150

* Performers (O and P) — $150

* Fiance-based visas (K) — $350

"Although the treaty trader (E1) and treaty investor (E2) visa classes are not petition-based, they will now be set at US$390. The new, higher fees for E and K visas will more accurately reflect the real cost of processing these document-intensive visa categories," the embassy said in a release last Friday.

It said applicants with interviews "scheduled for June 4 and who have already paid according to the old fee schedule will be required to return to NCB to pay the difference between the new and old fees in order for their cases to be processed."

All fees are in United States dollars.