When planning a trip abroad, it’s good to know if a visa is needed, and if so, which one. The wrong visa can delay your trip whether it’s for business or pleasure. To ensure you have the right visa for your next getaway, check out the overview of visa types below needed to enter the United States.     BUSINESS AND TOURISM If you’re looking to enter the U.S. temporarily for business purposes, this visa is for you. The “visitor” visa is used for people who want to attend business meetings, purchase property or buy equipment, according to the United States embassy in Port au Prince. Apply for this visa if your job consists of traveling the globe week to week.   Under this visa, those seeking medical treatment in the U.S. are also applicable.   DIPLOMATIC AND OFFICIAL Diplomats and other government officials must apply for A visas. Individuals who qualify for this visa are travelling on behalf of their countries to solely take part in official activities for their government.   Photo credit: Stuart Miles ACADEMIC AND EXCHANGE VISITORS If you’re a student who wants to study abroad for a semester, then student “F” and “M” visas are … read more

There are times when the local supermarket doesn’t have that one ingredient you need to make your favorite Caribbean dish. Instead of letting that frustration overcome you, head to Sam’s Caribbean Marketplace in West Hempstead, NY they provide all the necessary ingredients to your     “It was time for us to make that major leap of faith,” said Andrew Morris, CEO of Sam’s Marketplace, in a press release. “While our former location served us well for many years, the room for growth and development was limited.” Considering their last location was only 1,600 square feet, Morris knew they needed more space so they could do the kinds of things they wanted to do, he said.   Eighteen years later Morris made that leap and moved to a new location.   The Marketplace carries a variety of products from Jamaica to St. Lucia. Its new location is about 4,000 square feet and houses its own “Café on the island.” Here, customers can get jerk wings, freshly-baked Jamaican beef patties and jerk lunches for under $5. The new building also holds an ice cream parlor, juice bar and dining area.     Andrew Morris, CEO of Sam’s Marketplace “[Sam’s Marketplace] is … read more

Krik Krak 844 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10025         Prices : $12-$23 Service : Excellent Dining Tip : BYOB     Upper West locals dine-in, sipping their wine as busy cab drivers, mostly Haitian, rush in and out picking up takeout orders. Krik Krak, the only Haitian restaurant in Manhattan, has a discrete red awning and small dining room. It’s both a gem and staple to those seeking Haitian cuisine in Manhattan. Krik Krak offers down-home flavors in all of Haiti’s traditional dishes. The service is simple; yet friendly. Maud Pamphil, Krik Krak’s owner, is often found multitasking: explaining menu items, offering suggestions and delivering food; all with the warmth of a Haitian aunt who is eager to feed you.   As an appetizer, Pamphil suggested the Acra de Malanga; fritters made of grated malanga root and spices. They arrived piping hot over a bed of lettuce and with a side of pikliz; pickled Haitian cabbage, hot peppers and carrots. The acra was fried to perfection – crispy on the outside and firm and spicy on the inside. My hunger was tempered, although I was anxious to see what the remainder of the meal would offer. … read more

It’s 3 a.m. and you can’t sleep. After a few moments of restless tossing, you turn on the TV. The face of a crying, abnormally thin child flashes across the screen. Your heart melts. Then a neatly dressed man appears. With subtle pleading he asks you to make a donation. By donating, he says, you will help that crying child. But in actuality, little, if any of the money you donated will ever directly reach that child.     This is a massive concern haunting the people of Haiti since a flood of money supposedly came “pouring” into Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.   The majority of the money went to “operating” costs, said Yves Louis-Jacques, founder of the Brooklyn nonprofit New Social Republic, which hopes to slash the reliance on outside aid to Haiti, and the costly administrative process attached.   Only one percent of the $9.2 billion in humanitarian aid and recovery funding that’s been donated to Haiti has actually been received by the Haitian government, according to the Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti, a United Nations backed initiative. Of that $9.2 billion, about 60 percent of it has been disbursed to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).   … read more