Ms. Hellwig

Thanks JG!

Mi cyaan even tink bout what di price fi gas will be in a month or two. Unfortunately I live in NC and there isn't much by way of public transportation except for the bus--which I would ride except the nature of my job won't allow it (I do a lot of home visits and going to various places in the community as a case manager). That's one thing I miss about living in the MD/DC/VA area...I used to loooove taking the metro! I hope to be able to move next summer to ATL, and I know their transit system is better.

On a lighter note--I leave for Negril in a week!! I can't wait to see my wonderful husband!!

Good afternoon all!!

I feel u all on the gas woes.. we haven't reached $4 yet, but it will be there before we know it here in Dallas. But, gotta do what I gotta do. I keep hearing them mention this 4 day week for govt workers, but I know I will find SOMEWHERE to go that 5th day so I might as well stick w/ my 8 hour days..

My friends are coming back from their mobay/negril trip (they always rent a car and head to either ochi or negril) I couldn't go this year but can't wait to hear about all their escapades.

I know most of u ladies are yaadies from bawn, but for any others..How did ur children feel about u having a SO from Jamaica?? my daugh is quite rigid. she is not very open to things and doesnt like for her boat to be rocked.. It doesnt help that she is a DADDY's girl and he is very open about his dislike for JA.. I would like to think that whatever made me happy would make her happy HOWEVER, I have been a parent long enough to know that is not gonna be true in our case.. Now my youngest would be cool, but my oldest?? not so much LOL. any experiences???

My son met my SO the same time I did. He was talking a hole in my SO's head. And they were running around the tennis court like to squirls in a tree. My SO came to visit my family and I for a week and I watch how he interacted with my son. By the 3rd day, my son forgot all about me. He didn't even want to hold my hand when we went out...he was hitched up under my SO. We had to left him fall asleep before my SO drove back to Mobay and when my son would walk in the morning he would ask me where's Marcel. To tell you the truth I was very afraid, you know how kids can get attached to people, especially when they're young. Marcel doesn't know I'm bringing my son with me on this visiti, it's a surprise. He doesn't have any kids and I know he will treat my son very well. The only problem I've encountered so far is my DAMN EX (he's always asking my son things). Things you're not suppose to ask a 4-year-old. Like who does mommy talk to on the phone at night. My son told me "daddy always asking who is at the house." I think the ex can play a role in whether your child gets along with your SO or not. Some men or women are blessed that they don't have to deal with some simple minded dumb A$$ (I'm sorry I had to let that out). He just called to cuss me out and I had to hang up the phone. He's telling me I can't take my son to Jamaica and I'll be getting served this week to go to court to overturn the custody order...WHAT A WASTE OF MY FRIGGIN TIME...... ......I'm so tired of this.

Sheesh - I am sorry you have to deal with that - being that last thing you need to deal with along with the upcoming interview, etc. Want me to call my cousins Vinnie and Luigi for some knee breaking???

I am not sure where to post this question, but here it is......I got a copy of the packet 3 that was sent to my fiance. The cover letter listed my fiance's son under "Traveling Applicants" along with my fiance. His son is 19 and we did not file anything for him. Is this something I should contact the Embassy about - to clarify? My fiance has two children and both were listed on the I-129 form. The oldest is 29 but she was not listed on the cover letter. Maybe this is a non-issue but I wanted to throw it out there.

My music recommendation, well recommended artist, is Sanchez. Here is a link to is discography: http://www.sanchezmusic.com/discography.html

CALLING ON THE VETS...... From DS-156 (the one you fill out on-line)...How many pages you suppose to print out...one or two? My friend said when she went to her interview last week she only had 2 pages, but the told her it should have been 3. I don't have my paperwork infront of me so I can't help her. Any ideas?

3 pages.............https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156_complete.asp?pdf=DS156_Complete.pdf

JG - I was posting the same time you were so I didn't see yours until after mine went up. Now I am confused - where is page 3?

Copy and past my link into your browser. It takes me to the exact same place as you went. Click on "continue" on that form. You will see a page 3 for "official use". It's there. You just didn't go far enough.

A-HA. Thanks!

CALLING ON THE VETS...... From DS-156 (the one you fill out on-line)...How many pages you suppose to print out...one or two? My friend said when she went to her interview last week she only had 2 pages, but the told her it should have been 3. I don't have my paperwork infront of me so I can't help her. Any ideas?

3 pages.............https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156_complete.asp?pdf=DS156_Complete.pdf

JG - I was posting the same time you were so I didn't see yours until after mine went up. Now I am confused - where is page 3?

CALLING ON THE VETS...... From DS-156 (the one you fill out on-line)...How many pages you suppose to print out...one or two? My friend said when she went to her interview last week she only had 2 pages, but the told her it should have been 3. I don't have my paperwork infront of me so I can't help her. Any ideas?

I have my packet here at work and the DS-156 is only two pages long. Here is a link to the form: https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp

It says "1 of 2" and "2 of 2" pages.

Did it cause her any problems? I wonder what they were referring to?

Thanks much for all the advice!

I got a copy of the packet three in the mail over the weekend. The mister is going to the post office today to see if he got his copy. I've been reading through it and I just want to verify the next step (because the info on the US Embassy website and the info in the letter are not quite the same) - all my fiance has to do is fill out the DS-230 and return that to the Embassy to get the interview scheduled? Can this be done online? What recommendations does any one have to make this go as smoothly as possible?

The rest seems pretty clear cut about what documents need to be gathered to bring to the interview.

Thanks!

Ms. H;

Request an appt to drop of the DS-230, it's easy. They'll try and convince to mail it in as they did with me, but I told them I'd rather have my fiance drop it off. I requested the appt. for the drop on Monday they gave me the appt for Thursday the same week. Our packet 3 came very early...packet 4 was another thing. I ended up with 3 and my fiance ended up with 2 after I e-mailed the embassy several times telling them I never received it. I guess they got sick of me, but hey...I wanted my questions answered. They emailed me 4 times in 1 hour. If you have any questions, I can honestly say they'll answer it. If they don't, e-mail them again and put in the subject line along with the KINGSTON number 2nd Inquiry, 3rd Inquiry and so on.

Let me tell you about the mail system in Jamaica (you may already know)...It's DAMNNNNNNNN slow. The embassy said the mailed packet 4 on April 18th...we waited and waited and nothing. So, I sent an e-mail. My last e-mail to them was very FIRM and well they mailed in May 5th and my fiance got it May 7th (two days); so, I don't understand how they can mail something from Kingston and you won't get it for 3 weeks. I just don't understand that.

What comes in packet 4?

I got a copy of the packet three in the mail over the weekend. The mister is going to the post office today to see if he got his copy. I've been reading through it and I just want to verify the next step (because the info on the US Embassy website and the info in the letter are not quite the same) - all my fiance has to do is fill out the DS-230 and return that to the Embassy to get the interview scheduled? Can this be done online? What recommendations does any one have to make this go as smoothly as possible?

The rest seems pretty clear cut about what documents need to be gathered to bring to the interview.

Thanks!

Good Afternoon everyone!

I guess I will stop lurking and post something. I just don't have much to say or add.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend.

It is pretty slow on this thread today so did the weekend start early for some? We should be closing our office in about an hour so I will be off to a slightly early start myself.

Tonight I need to hit the liquor store, grocery store, get home and pack and get ready to take off tomorrow morning for Northern Minnesota to a friend's cabin. It should be a fun weekend of hanging with friends, fishing, eating and drinking. I can't wait to have my future husband here to see all that! Perhaps by Labor Day weekend????

Have a good weekend!

Good luck Momsie!! Your guys time now!

I just heard from Tonisha...she is at JFK waiting for Dave to arrive in about an hour!

She wanted to thank all of us again for our prayers and well wishes.

Bless,

Gill

That is great news! Thanks for passing it on.

Does anyone know what countries a Jamaican citizen can travel to without a travel visa? I think Cayman is one, but are there others?

Without a visa, Jamaican nationals can actually travel to many countries. Places where a Jamaican national may visit for an unlimited time without a visa would be: Antiga, Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cyprus, Dominca, Fiji, Gambia, Great Britain, Grendada, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Peru, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 6 month visit to: Barbados.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 3 month visit to: Bermuda, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, South Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 1 month visit to: Argentina, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Uruguay.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 2 week visit to: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten.

I would like to share a word of warning about Jamaicans traveling without a visa - from my one experience. Apparently it is also very common for Jamaicans to go to Panama for shopping and what not. Anywho, in 2005 I went on a trip with a group of friends to Belize and had the mister join me there. The flight was half the battle as he left Kingston and went to Haiti, Caymans then Panama (or some such combination - it didn't make any sense). He got to Panama with no trouble but leaving Panama for Belize proved to be quite the issue. They didn't want to let him leave the country. He was stuck there for three days, wasting all his travel money there on hotel, taxi and food before he was finally "allowed" to leave Panama for Belize City. Even once he got to Belize City they didn't want to let him leave for San Pedro Island where our group was staying. At least the owner of the house we were renting knew someone in immigration and convinced them that the mister would be returning to Jamaica. It was very kind of the man to give his guarantee. My man did finally make it but wasted alot of time and money to get to Belize. Just a word of warning.

they didn't want him to leave the country or let him in country. Normally they let you out no problem.

Yeah - that was the weird part. I don't know what it was but they didn't want him to leave Panama. Then once he got to Belize City they didn't want to let him leave the airport. I don't know what the problem was. Well.....I guess I do know what the problem was - the concern is once a person is in Belize they can travel through Mexico and get to the US - if one was so inclined.

And about the flight that was so jacked up - he booked it through a cousin at a travel agency in JA so it might have been the cheapest flight??? Maybe that is why he got the grand tour of the carribean?

Does anyone know what countries a Jamaican citizen can travel to without a travel visa? I think Cayman is one, but are there others?

Without a visa, Jamaican nationals can actually travel to many countries. Places where a Jamaican national may visit for an unlimited time without a visa would be: Antiga, Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cyprus, Dominca, Fiji, Gambia, Great Britain, Grendada, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Peru, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 6 month visit to: Barbados.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 3 month visit to: Bermuda, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, South Korea, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 1 month visit to: Argentina, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Monaco, Papua New Guinea, Uruguay.

Jamaicans may travel without a visa but are limited to no more than a 2 week visit to: Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten.

I would like to share a word of warning about Jamaicans traveling without a visa - from my one experience. Apparently it is also very common for Jamaicans to go to Panama for shopping and what not. Anywho, in 2005 I went on a trip with a group of friends to Belize and had the mister join me there. The flight was half the battle as he left Kingston and went to Haiti, Caymans then Panama (or some such combination - it didn't make any sense). He got to Panama with no trouble but leaving Panama for Belize proved to be quite the issue. They didn't want to let him leave the country. He was stuck there for three days, wasting all his travel money there on hotel, taxi and food before he was finally "allowed" to leave Panama for Belize City. Even once he got to Belize City they didn't want to let him leave for San Pedro Island where our group was staying. At least the owner of the house we were renting knew someone in immigration and convinced them that the mister would be returning to Jamaica. It was very kind of the man to give his guarantee. My man did finally make it but wasted alot of time and money to get to Belize. Just a word of warning.

Good morning Yardies!!

Lawny it's Monday and I sure could use one of your prayers today.

Dear Heavenly Father;

Thank you for another blessed week. Lord we turn to you for comfort this week as many of us are dealing with our own struggles in life. Lord, I pray that you heal those that are ill or recovery...shower them with your strength. Lord, please watch over Tonisha (FUTURE HUSBAND) as he'll be here tomorrow. Please get him to the airport on time and deliver him safely to her arms at JFK...(I can just see her now hoping to give her man a big hug). Lord, please watch over those that are pregnant and those that are TRYING to get pregnant . Lord, please push forward the approvals for those that are waiting (SHREW) is calling out to you as well as Sunny and Mommy 2 b. Lord for those who has mishaps last week in their lives, THANKS for protecting them and finally, thanks for bring Marla to her loving husband Jason. He has been patiently waiting for his beautiful wife and we can all feel the love he has for her. All these things I pray to you Dear God...in your son's precious and might name. AMEN...AMEN...AMEN.

AMEN! Well said!

Wrong. It happens all the time. Just not as PC in Jamaica to report it.

No - I agree it happens all time. I was just pointing out the irony of what is reported or focused on and what isn't.

]What pisses me off about it all is how much they stress what the women are doing - I have never seen as many female hookers anywhere else in JA - or as many older men who travel down there and spend time with these young girls -[/b][/b]

Here, Here!! Ain't that the truth.

Good Morning!

I have a questions.....now that I finally have my NOA2 and I have verified the petition has been sent to the Embassy in JA and now I am waiting for the Packet 3 to be sent to my fiance.....do we just have to wait until he gets that, completes all the requirements and gets it back to the Embassy before they will schedule an interview? What can I expect? How long should I wait before I start bugging the embassy to make sure they mailed out the packet 3?

Congrats JaEnglishGirl!!!

Does that mean now your husband can travel out of the country? Is it that approval?

Ooops - I think I got it backwards??

Congrats JaEnglishGirl!!!

Does that mean now your husband can travel out of the country? Is it that approval?

ARGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I CAN NOT get through to JA AGAIN!!!! This is getting real annoying. What the heck??? I've tried cell phone, land line, calling card and no success. Anybody got any suggestions? Anyone got a carrier pigeon I could borrow?

Same thing with me this morning and it's islandwide. Sometimes I get lucky and I can get through. It doesn't matter if it's a landline or cellphone. It is very ANNOYING ... I told Marcel I'll talk to him late tonight. This morning while I was talking to him, my conversation went to someone else. It was another man on the phone. Then I couldn't hear Marcel at all.

Thanks for posting that. Sometimes I am losing my mind and it is reassuring that I am not the only one. I can't help but think "is someone dead" what is wrong? why can't I get through? I want to talk to my man and I WANT TO TALK TO HIM NOW. If I didn't have this board for an outlet I would lose my mind.

Yup 3-4 daily

bettah watch out. I bet he trying to breed you too.

Yes...that's during the week Gotta keep the love life going strong....

3-4 times a day every day during the week? Damn.......how do you have time for anything else? What are you doing on here now????????

I was kinda wondering the same thing!

No one ever said crimes and murders don't happen everywhere. In my neighborhood, 3 different crimes involving guns happened just last week. However, to dismiss the crime of Jamaica with the wave of a hand is a cop out. [b]Per capita, it is the murder capital of the world[/b]. Something still needs to be done about that.

And, I was not dishonoring Jamaica in my tirade. I was going off on Jamicans I personally know who are driving me crazy. I have every right to do this because this is happening to me. It Has nothing to do with dishonoring Jamaica as a whole.

That is NOT true.

Ok - so Jamaica is not the murder capital of the world - but it is #3. Check out this link: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_...ders-per-capita

I don't know what to do anymore.......

The Embassy told us we would have our visa last friday, but guess what?....no visa and still today there is no visa. I talked to the lady at the Dept. of State yesterday and she assured me that the visas were printed last Thurs and she said the embassy in Kingston is very slow. I have tried to e-mail the embassy serveral times and no response from them. They hold people lives on hold like its no deal.

I married my wife 14 months ago and we did K-3 visa and she is still not here with me. I am so disgusted with the embassy that it just makes me sick. The Americans that work at that embassy, give America a bad name. They really need to fire everyone there and start over. I'm sorry, but I am so freaking mad right now that I can't see straight.

Thanks for letting vent.

Wow Jason, I feel your pain and frustrations but keep on them did you call airpek(sp)?

No, I figured they don't have it, b/c from what I read, they are pretty quick on getting them out. But, I will try calling them today.

Sheesh Jason - That stinks! I was assuming because I hadn't seen you posting that all was good. Have you contacted your congressional representative/constituent services for help? It might be time to bring them in......also it might help to bring it to someone's attention, at the federal level, how sometimes things go bad dealing with that embassy.