14236: Pierre Jean:Re: 14234: Sanok: Re: 14227: Visas (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Pierre Jean <pierrejean01@yahoo.com>

Folks,

I don't understand what's the big deal about having to
pay for a time-limited visa to get into Haiti. We
Haitians have to pay $100 to get a tourist (B-2
category) visa to go to the United States. And we have
to pay JUST to get an interview at the US Consulate!
It is up to the consul to decide the time of validity
of the visa.

The 30-day limit is because, unless you plan on
working in Haiti (in which case you will probably need
a permanent residency visa), why would you spend more
than 30 days in Haiti? Vacationing? I don't think so.
At any rate, the visa is renewable in Haiti ... like
they do in so many countries around the world.

I am tired of non-Haitians whining about how it has
become more difficult to get into the country. If you
take a minute and consider how incredibly more
difficult it is for us to go to your country, than
maybe you will appreciate that you have benefited from
an incredible "piyay" for so long. As it is, you stil
have a big advantage. You don't have to pay an
application fee, show up at a Haitian consulate in
your country, stand in line for hours and still face
the possibility of rejection. You can just hop on a
plane, show your passport to the immigration officer
in Haiti, pay your $100 fee and that's it ... you're
in.