State Department, JA Artists, Visas & Bribes

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This does not surprise me at all. Last time we tried to get a visa for a roots veteran artist he told me the officer in charge of their case seemed to be waiting for or insinuating a bribe. It is ridiculous how Jamaicans are treated "guilty until proven innocent (by paying a lot of money for permits)" compared to performers from , for example UK or other "1st world" countries.

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This does not surprise me at all. Last time we tried to get a visa for a roots veteran artist he told me the officer in charge of their case seemed to be waiting for or insinuating a bribe. It is ridiculous how Jamaicans are treated "guilty until proven innocent (by paying a lot of money for permits)" compared to performers from , for example UK or other "1st world" countries.

If that's true, then Jamaica is not to blame. The last time I checked, the "officer in charge" of securing a US visa would be a member of the Sate Department of the USofA, the ultimate "1st world" country....

Wonder if the watches were Mavado brand........

Daniel yes that is my point, Jamaican performers are treated much differently by the US officials (the lady in charge of this particular case who called me sounded very Jamaican but works for US customs apparently) and I would not be surprised if bribes are part of "business as usual" for this type of thing.

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