9513: Research Visas ? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Tara L. Hefferan" <wid15@hotmail.com>

Greetings!

I am a US citizen, and I will be in Haiti for 6 months conducting
anthropological research.  Thinking I'd need a visa, I called the Haitian
Embassy in DC to ask how to go about it.  The Embassy advised me that I
should apply for a visitor's permit once I get to Haiti.  That is, I should
go to the Ministry of the Interior (Immigration Dept) upon my arrival in
Haiti to request to stay longer than the 3 months allotted for US citizens.
Typically, I would expect to apply for a visa while still in the US--and the
Embassy website seems to suggest I should.  Yet, I asked three times,
"shouldn't I apply while in the US" and was told no.

Because I want to make sure I am in compliance with local laws, I am writing
to ask the list--have any of you successfully secured the necessary
paperwork in this way?  Have any tips or advice?

Cheers,
Tara Hefferan