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U.S. Restarts Deportation Flights to Haiti

The Biden administration had paused deportations of Haitian migrants in recent months as their home country was wracked by violence.

By Hamed Aleaziz

Immigration officials sent dozens of Haitians back to their home country on Thursday, according to three government officials, in the first deportation flight conducted by the United States government in months to the country, which has been gripped by widespread violence.

Deportation flights are generally viewed as a way to deter migrants from crossing the southern border without authorization. The United States has been concerned about migration from Haiti after a gang takeover of its capital, Port-au-Prince, this year led to the planned resignation of the prime minister, Ariel Henry.

The deportation flight, the first since January, comes as the Biden administration continues to turn toward tougher measures at the southern border as a way to bring down the number of migrants entering the country without authorization. President Biden has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans about the border, and immigration has become a key issue in the election campaign.

In recent months, however, migrants are crossing the border at lower rates than before.

Still, the deportation flight on Thursday caught many immigrant advocacy groups by surprise. The U.S. government itself advises Americans not to visit Haiti, citing “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and poor health care infrastructure,” and has previously told family members of American officials in Haiti to leave.

“This is not only morally wrong and in violation of U.S. and international law, it is simply bad foreign policy,” said Guerline Jozef, the head of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, an advocacy group in San Diego.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that it had “conducted a repatriation flight of around 50 Haitian nationals to Haiti.”

The statement continued: “Individuals are removed only if they were found to not have a legal basis to remain in the United States.”

The United Nations human rights office reported in March that more than 1,500 people had died in gang violence in Haiti so far this year and described the country as being in a “cataclysmic situation.”

The Biden administration granted Haitians who entered the United States before late 2022 temporary protection from deportation because of the ongoing problems in Haiti.

Some congressional Democrats, including Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, have pushed the administration to extend those protections to Haitians who have entered the country since 2022 and to maintain its pause on deportation flights to Haiti.

Word that deportations had restarted brought denunciations from other House Democrats. “Given the current dangers and lack of central government, we should not be deporting people to Haiti. Period,” Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington said on social media.

Adam Isaacson of the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights organization, said that Haitians were predominantly waiting for appointments at ports of entry to enter the United States through a government app, as the administration has encouraged, instead of crossing the border.

“It’s hard to explain the urgency to deport Haitians,” he said in a text message. “Among nationalities whose citizens have crossed the border irregularly, Haiti has been the number-15 nationality over the past 6 months, way behind China, India, even Turkey.”

Thomas Cartwright, who tracks government deportation flights for Witness at the Border, an advocacy group, said that there had been no commercial flights to the airport in Port-au-Prince recently. Last month, gunfire erupted around that airport.

This week, the State Department said that the airport in the Haitian capital was closed but that “limited” flights into two other airports in the country had started back up.

American officials deported the Haitians on Thursday to one of those airports, in Cap Haitien, a coastal city a few hours’ drive north of the capital. Mr. Cartwright said the United States generally flies deported migrants into the capital, though it conducted some flights into Cap Haitien in 2021.

Hamed Aleaziz covers the Department of Homeland Security and immigration policy. More about Hamed Aleaziz

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US resumes deportation flights to Haiti despite continuing bloodshed

Critics condemn ‘reckless and cruel’ expulsions and say deportees likely to be targeted by armed gangs who control much of country

More than 70 Haitians expelled from the United States have been flown back to Haiti on the first deportation flight since heavily armed gangs launched a bloody insurrection which has paralysed the capital and forced the prime minister from office.

The flight, which landed in the port city of Cap-Haïtien early on Thursday, was described as “inhumane” by human rights activists who warned that deportees would likely be targeted by the criminal factions who control most of the country.

“This is reckless and cruel,” said Nicole Phillips, legal director of the refugee advocacy group the Haitian Bridge Alliance. “These people are being sent back to an impossible situation where there is no work, no healthcare and no schools to send their children to. On top of that, there is also no real Haitian government to consent to the flight, and no one who can keep these people safe.”

Haiti has been in turmoil since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in July 2021, but in the past two months the country’s deep, overlapping crises have reached new lows as the gangs have joined forces to unleash an unprecedented wave of brutal violence.

The US airlifted non-essential embassy personnel and other citizens from Haiti late last month, with state department spokesperson Matthew Miller, saying: “The security situation in Haiti remains untenable due to the violence caused by gangs that claim to represent the Haitian people but thrive on violence and misery.”

The acting prime minister, Ariel Henry, has since stepped down and a transitional council has been formed, but conditions remain equally dire with deadly gun skirmishes a daily occurrence, 4 million people regularly going hungry and the public health system on its knees.

Heavily armed gunmen continued to wage terror on the country on Thursday, reportedly shooting dead eight civilians in the Carrefour neighbourhood in the western limits of the capital and taking control of a police station.

The anarchy is expected to deteriorate further as gangs respond to Tuesday’s announcement that members of a transitional council had been appointed to choose Henry’s successor, said Diego Da Rin, a Haiti analyst at the International Crisis Group.

“The gangs have been increasingly occupying, looting or burning down medical facilities, schools, shops and houses,” Da Rin said. “If they continue to blockade the ports and the capital’s airport, the lack of supplies and food could seriously worsen the humanitarian crisis in Port-au-Prince and the rest of the country.”

The US most likely flew migrants to the north of the country as the capital is logistically impossible to reach given the lack of law and order, Phillips said.

While Cap-Haïtien may be far from the violence in Port-au-Prince, most of the deportees are not from the far north of the country, so will have to risk travelling through active conflict zones and gang-controlled checkpoints to get to their homes and families, Phillips said.

Their perceived connections to the US also make them vulnerable targets to gangs who extort, kidnap and torture for financial gain, she added.

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“Once gangs realise that deportation flights are coming into the north of the country, operations will be set up to take advantage of these people … The US is actively putting people in harm’s way.”

US deportations to Haiti have been halted in the past when the country was in crisis, but upcoming elections mean Joe Biden is using Haitians to look tough on migration, Phillips said.

“Once again Haitians are the pawns in this political game – and the consequences will be dire for them,” she said.

Yvette D Clarke, a Democratic congresswoman and the co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, said the decision to resume deportations was “unacceptable”.

“Haiti is experiencing extreme political instability, rampant violence, and insecurity beyond imagine,” Clarke tweeted. “We should be focusing on finding solutions to prevent suffering without putting people at risk.”

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US travel alert: Popular cruise line stops visits to its Caribbean resort

A popular cruise line has stopped visiting a private Caribbean resort due to concerns about violence and unrest in the area.

AL.com reports Royal Caribbean has suspended calls at Labadee, its resort on the northern coast of Haiti, after the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert urging tourists not to visit the country. Haiti is at a Level Four travel advisory, alongside countries such as Russia, Syria and Burkina Faso.

“Due to the evolving situation in Haiti, and in an abundance of caution, we’re temporally suspending our visits to Labadee for our entire fleet,” the company said in a statement. “We continue to monitor and assess the situation with our Global Security & Intelligence Team.”

According to the RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com, Royal Caribbean has extended its itinerary change through at least mid-April. The cruise line will instead visit Perfect Day at CocoCay instead of Labadee, Haiti.

“We’re terribly sorry for the last-minute change – your safety is our top priority,” Royal Caribbean International’s Assistant Vice President of Guest Experiences wrote to guests sailing on the April 14 sailing of Explorer of the Seas, according to the blog.

The company said none of its passengers or crew have faced violence or threats.

According to the Associated Press, a do-not-travel alert was issued for Haiti in July 2023 after U.S. officials raised concerns about for “kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and poor health care infrastructure.” Later that month, the U.S. ordered all family members of U.S. government employees and non-emergency personnel to leave the country. American government personnel have been limited to only confined areas around the Embassy and are not allowed to walk in Port-au-Prince, use any public transportation, visit banks or ATMs, drive at night or travel between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic sharing the island to the east. According to AL.com , the Dominican Republic is under a level 2 advisory with visitors urged to exercise increased caution.

US issues warning for spring break travel to popular Mexico destinations

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Caribbean cruise line reroutes ships, cancels stop at island port due to violence, turmoil

• Published: Apr. 25, 2024, 12:11 p.m.

Royal Caribbean International has canceled stops at its private beach in Haiti through September as a result of the violence plaguing the island nation, a private fan blog, citing messages to travelers, reports. AP

• Robert Higgs, cleveland.com

MIAMI – Royal Caribbean has cancelled stops at its private port of Labadee through the summer because of simmering violence in Haiti.

In March, the cruise line canceled stops at the private beach area through May, but this week Royal Caribbean reworked cruise schedules through the summer and into September, a post on the Royal Caribbean Blog said.

“Guests booked on cruises in the summer and early fall are getting notifications from Royal Caribbean that their visits to Labadee have been canceled,” the blog said. “On Tuesday (April 23), cruisers began to share updates they received from Royal Caribbean that their itineraries have been updated to drop Labadee and replace it with another port or a sea day.”

Labadee is a beach area on a peninsula in northern Haiti near Cap-Haitien used exclusively by Royal Caribbean. The cruise line has its own security force at the site, which is walled off from the rest of the country.

The 260-acre site has been leased by Royal Caribbean since the 1980s. It is about a six-hour drive from Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and thus far has not seen any incidents of violence, the blog said.

More than 2,500 people were killed or injured in gang violence from January to March across Haiti, a more than 50% increase from the same period last year, according to a report Friday by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. The vast majority of violence is in Port-au-Prince .

Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s former capital, has been spared much of the violence and is going through a bit of a resurgence, The Associated Press said . Business owners, anxious parents and even historic state ceremonies have been relocating there, and that began even before gangs started attacking key government infrastructure in Port-au-Prince in late February.

Royal Caribbean International had no formal announcements of the changes posted to its website. Royal Caribbean Blog is an unofficial site for fans of the cruise line and is not affiliated with Royal Caribbean International.

But it cited chatter and messages from cruise ticket holders about changes to their itinerary that showed stops at Labadee were being canceled and replaced with either an extra day of cruising at sea or stops in alternate ports.

A notice from the cruise line, reposted on the blog, informed guests about the change in travel plans, without explicitly mentioning the violence.

“Due to the continuing situation in Haiti, we’ll now visit Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, instead of Labadee, Haiti,” the notice reads. “We’re sorry for the change – your safety is our top priority. Nevertheless, we’re excited to visit a new port with you!”

Grand Turk is the capital island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago north of Haiti.

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U.S. Visa: Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country

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Reciprocity Schedule

Select a visa category below to find the visa issuance fee, number of entries, and validity period for visas issued to applicants from this country*/area of authority.

Explanation of Terms

Visa Classification: The type of nonimmigrant visa you are applying for.

Fee: The reciprocity fee, also known as the visa issuance fee, you must pay. This fee is in addition to the nonimmigrant visa application fee (MRV fee).

Number of Entries: The number of times you may seek entry into the United States with that visa. "M" means multiple times. If there is a number, such as "One", you may apply for entry one time with that visa.

Validity Period: This generally means the visa is valid, or can be used, from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel with that visa. If your Validity Period is 60 months, your visa will be valid for 60 months from the date it is issued.

Visa Classifications

Country specific footnotes.

Although care has been taken to ensure the accuracy, completeness and reliability of the information provided, please contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you plan to apply if you believe this information is in error or if you have further questions.

Visa Category Footnotes

The validity of A-3, G-5, and NATO 7 visas may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the person who is employing the applicant. The "employer" would have one of the following visa classifications:

• G-1 through G-4
• NATO 1 through NATO 6

An E-1 and E-2 visa may be issued only to a principal alien who is a national of a country having a treaty, or its equivalent, with the United States. E-1 and E-2 visas may not be issued to a principal alien if he/she is a stateless resident or national of a country without a treaty.  *When the spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 principal alien are accorded derivative E-1 or E-2 status and are themselves a national of a country that does not have a treaty with the United States – the reciprocity schedule, including any reciprocity fees, of the principal alien’s country of nationality should be used.  **Spouse and children of an E-1 or E-2 visa principal applicant, where the spouse and children are also nationals of a country that has a treaty with the United States – the reciprocity schedule, including any reciprocity fees, of the spouse and children’s country of nationality should be used.  

*Example 1: John Doe is a national of Country A that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. however his wife and child are nationals of Country B which has no treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the same reciprocity as John Doe, the principal visa holder. **Example 2:  Mike Doe is a national of Country Y that has an E-1/E-2 treaty with the U.S. however his wife and child are nationals of Country Z that also has a treaty with the U.S. The wife and child would, therefore, be entitled to derivative status and receive the reciprocity issued to nationals of Country Z.

The validity of H-1 through H-3, O-1 and O-2, P-1 through P-3, and Q visas may not exceed the period of validity of the approved petition or the number of months shown, whichever is less.

Under 8 CFR §214.2, H-2A and H-2B petitions may generally only be approved for nationals of countries that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated as participating countries. The current list of eligible countries is available on USCIS's website for both H-2A and H-2B visas. Nationals of countries not on this list may be the beneficiary of an approved H-2A or H2-B petition in limited circumstances at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security if specifically named on the petition.  

Derivative H-4, L-2, O-3, and P-4 visas, issued to accompanying or following-to-join spouses and children, may not exceed the validity of the visa issued to the principal alien.

There is no reciprocity fee for the issuance of a J visa if the alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an exchange program sponsored by the United States Government.

Also, there is no reciprocity fee for visa issuance to an accompanying or following-to-join spouse or child (J-2) of an exchange visitor grantee or participant.

In addition, an applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if he or she is participating in a State Department, USAID, or other federally funded educational and cultural exchange program (program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7).

However, all other applicants with U.S. Government sponsorships, including other J-visa applicants, are subject to the MRV processing fee.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Canadian and Mexican nationals coming to engage in certain types of professional employment in the United States may be admitted in a special nonimmigrant category known as the "trade NAFTA" or "TN" category. Their dependents (spouse and children) accompanying or following to join them may be admitted in the "trade dependent" or "TD" category whether or not they possess Canadian or Mexican nationality. Except as noted below, the number of entries, fees and validity for non-Canadian or non-Mexican family members of a TN status holder seeking TD visas should be based on the reciprocity schedule of the TN principal alien.

Canadian Nationals

Since Canadian nationals generally are exempt from visa requirement, a Canadian "TN' or "TD" alien does not require a visa to enter the United States. However, the non-Canadian national dependent of a Canadian "TN", unless otherwise exempt from the visa requirement, must obtain a "TD" visa before attempting to enter the United States. The standard reciprocity fee and validity period for all non-Canadian "TD"s is no fee, issued for multiple entries for a period of 36 months, or for the duration of the principal alien's visa and/or authorized period of stay, whichever is less. See 'NOTE' under Canadian reciprocity schedule regarding applicants of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality.

Mexican Nationals

Mexican nationals are not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican "TN"s and both Mexican and non-Mexican national "TD"s accompanying or following to join them who are not otherwise exempt from the visa requirement (e.g., the Canadian spouse of a Mexican national "TN") must obtain nonimmigrant visas.

Applicants of Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan, Somalian, Sudanese, Syrian or Yemeni nationality, who have a permanent resident or refugee status in Canada/Mexico, may not be accorded Canadian/Mexican reciprocity, even when applying in Canada/Mexico. The reciprocity fee and period for "TD" applicants from Libya is $10.00 for one entry over a period of 3 months. The Iranian and Iraqi "TD" is no fee with one entry over a period of 3 months.

Q-2 (principal) and Q-3 (dependent) visa categories are in existence as a result of the 'Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998'. However, because the Department anticipates that virtually all applicants for this special program will be either Irish or U.K. nationals, the Q-2 and Q-3 categories have been placed only in the reciprocity schedules for those two countries. Q-2 and Q-3 visas are available only at the Embassy in Dublin and the Consulate General in Belfast.

No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's authorization.

V-2 and V-3 status is limited to persons who have not yet attained their 21st birthday. Accordingly, the period of validity of a V-2 or V-3 visa must be limited to expire on or before the applicant's twenty-first birthday.

Posts may not issue a T-1 visa. A T-1 applicant must be physically present in the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or a U.S. port of entry, where he/she will apply for an adjustment of status to that of a T-1. The following dependents of a T-1 visa holder, however, may be issued a T visa at a U.S. consular office abroad:

• T-2 (spouse)
• T-3 (child)
• T-4 (parent)

The validity of NATO-5 visas may not exceed the period of validity of the employment contract or 12 months, whichever is less.

The validity of CW-1 and CW-2 visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (12 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.

The validity of E-2C visas shall not exceed the maximum initial period of admission allowed by DHS (24 months) or the duration of the transition period ending December 31, 2014, whichever is shortest.

General Documents

Both original documents and extracts (Extraits) are available. Due to inconsistent issuance standards and high levels of fraud surrounding Haitian civil documents, original documents are generally considered unreliable. When attempting to verify an identity or family relationship, request an Extrait.  Any questionable documents may be sent to Embassy Port-au-Prince for verification. 

Birth, Death, Burial Certificates

Birth certificates.

Fees: There is a fee to request an Extrait de Naissance. Domestically, the document is issued by the National Archives. The cost is 700 HTG. When requests are made from abroad they must be directed to a Haitian Embassy or Consulate. There are no authorized issuance agencies outside of Haiti. The cost is $100 USD.

Document Name: Extrait de Naissance.

Issuing Authority: Extraits can be obtained from the National Archives.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: The extrait is primarily blue and should bear the signature of the Archives Director, a blue stamp, and a dry seal in the upper right hand corner.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:  An extrait is issued by the Director General of the National Archives. One of the deputies may be listed if the Director General is absent.

Registration Criteria: Births can be registered by either the father or the mother, if the mother is married to the father. If the child is born out of wedlock and is registered by the mother, the father is not specified and the child is registered with the surname of the mother and child shown as ‘Naturel/le’.

Procedure for Obtaining: Must be obtained personally or by a representative of the interested party. Documents from the archives can be requested through some authorized agencies or by mail and are only issued by the National Archives. Please be aware that there are many “document vendors” in Haiti that attempt to sell fraudulent documents. Receiving a document from the archives will take, on average, 5-60 days.

Certified Copies Available: Certified copies are not available

Alternate Documents:  As an alternate document the ‘Acte de Naisssance’ with ‘Attestation’ are available only if the birth was registered within 2 years and if it is dated recently

Exceptions: If no record exists or cannot be found, the National Archives can prepare an extrait stating that the birth record could not be located and can include the text of a baptismal certificate. These negative extraits are considered unreliable as proof of relationship.

Comments: An original birth certificate (Acte de Naissance) is issued only once when a birth is initially declared. It is issued by a regional civil office, domestically. If any additional certificate is required, after one year of the original declaration, requests must be made to the National Archives for an Extrait de Naissance. For instances when the archives cannot find the information in the registry or has not received the registry, an “Attestation of signatures” can be requested for a birth that is registered within one year. If the attestation is dated one year ago the applicant must try again to get the Extrait or get a new attestation. Generally, original birth certificates (Acte de Naissance) are difficult to verify. For this reason, if attempting to verify an identity or family relationship, an Extrait de Naissance should be requested.  An Extrait de Naissance will list two dates: the date the person was born and the date that the birth was registered. A difference of more than two years between when a person was born and when that person was registered could be an indicator of fraud. Any questionable documents may be sent to Embassy Port-au-Prince for verification. In addition, all alterations to the original text are authorized by a judgment made by the Tribunal Civil and are recorded on the reverse of the front page of every extrait or below the original text. Such alterations are called “Par Ces Motifs.” Note: They are based only on the statements made to an Attorney by the interested party.

Death Certificates

Fees: There is a fee to request an Extrait de Décès. Domestically, the document is issued by the National Archives. The cost is 700 HTG. When requests are made from abroad they must be directed to a Haitian Embassy or Consulate. There are no authorized issuance agencies outside of Haiti. The cost is $100 USD.

Document Name: Acte deDécès and Extrait de Décès.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: An extrait is issued by the Director General of the National Archives. One of the deputies may be listed if the Director General is absent.

Registration Criteria: A death is declared at the National Archives using a police or medical report. A funeral home is also able to declare a death.

Procedure for Obtaining: Must be obtained personally by a representative of the interested party. Documents from the archives can be requested through some authorized agencies or by mail and are only issued by the National Archives. Please be aware that there are many “document vendors” in Haiti that attempt to sell fraudulent documents. Receiving a document from the archives will take, on average, 5-60 days.

Alternate Documents: There are no alternate documents

Exceptions: None

Comments: An original death certificate (Acte de Décès) is issued only once at the time the death is initially declared. It is issued by a regional civil office, domestically. If any additional certificate is required, after one year of the original declaration, requests must be made to the National Archives for an Extrait de Décès. Generally, original death certificates (Acte de Décès) are hard to verify. For this reason, if attempting to verify a death, an Extrait de Décès should be requested. If the death took place less than a year ago an Extrait will not be available. Therefore, consider requesting funeral documents, known as “pompes funèbres.” There is a relatively high level of fraud surrounding Haitian death documents. All documentation (actes, extraits, and funeral documents) should be subject to verification.

Marriage, Divorce Certificates

Marriage certificates.

Fees: There is a fee to request an Extrait de Marriage. Domestically, the document is issued by the National Archives. The cost is 700 HTG. When requests are made from abroad they must be directed to a Haitian Embassy or Consulate. There are no authorized issuance agencies outside of Haiti. The cost is $100 USD.

Document Name: Extrait de Mariage Religieux.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: The extrait is primarily blue and should bear the signature of the Archives Director, a blue stamp, and a dry seal in the upper right hand corner. 

Registration Criteria: A marriage is declared by both parties at a civil office or by the religious officiant.

Procedure for Obtaining:   Must be obtained personally or by a representative of the interested party. Documents from the archives can be requested through some authorized agencies or by mail. Please be aware that there are many “document vendors” in Haiti that attempt to sell fraudulent documents. Receiving a document from the archives will take, on average, 5-60 days.

Alternate Documents:  As an alternate document the Acte de Marriage (civil) or Acte de Marriage Religieux with ‘Attestation’ are available only if the marriage was registered within 2 years and if it is dated recently

Comments: An original marriage certificate (Acte de Marriage) is issued only once at the time of the wedding and specifies whether the ceremony was civil or religious. If any additional certificate is required, after one year of the wedding taking place, requests must be made to the National Archives for an Extrait de Marriage. Generally, original marriage certificates (Acte de Marriage) are hard to verify. For this reason, if attempting to verify a marriage, an Extrait de Marriage should be reviewed. For civil marriages, the date the wedding occurred and the date the wedding was registered should be the same. For religious marriages, late civil registration is more common. Any questionable documents may be sent to Embassy Port-au-Prince for verification.

Divorce Certificates

Fees: There is a fee to request an Extrait de Divorce. Domestically, the document is issued by the National Archives. It is possible to work with some authorized agencies. The cost is 700 HTG. When requests are made from abroad they must be directed to a Haitian Embassy or Consulate. There are no authorized agencies outside of Haiti. The cost is $100 USD.

Document Name: Extrait de Divorce.

Issuing Authority:  Extraits can be obtained from the National Archives.

Registration Criteria: An Acte de Divorce is issued by a civil office. After one year, the Acte de Divorce can be found on record at the National Archives at which point an “Extrait de Divorce” is produced.

Procedure for Obtaining: Must be obtained personally or by a representative of the interested party. Documents from the archives can be requested through some authorized agencies or by mail. Please be aware that there are many “document vendors” in Haiti that attempt to sell fraudulent documents. Receiving a document from the archives will take, on average, 5-60 days.

Alternate Documents:  As an alternate document the Acte de Divorce with ‘Attestation’ are available only if the divorce was registered   within 2 years and if it is dated recently

Comments:  Divorces between non-Haitians are documented at the Office du Divorce des Etrangers, which can also provide extraits. There is a relatively high level of fraud surrounding Haitian divorce documents. All documentation should be subject to verification. Any questionable documents may be sent to Embassy Port-au-Prince for verification.

Adoption Certificates

Fees: 4,000 Gourdes (~$58)

Document Name: Acte D’Adoption

Issuing Authority: Vital Statistics (Officier d’Etat Civil)

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: The Acte D’Adoption is typically issued on white, letter-sized paper.  The document contains stamps from various Haitian offices and ministries, including 1) Office of the Civil Register, 2) Tribunal of First Instance, 3) Ministry of Justice, and 4) Ministry of Foreign affairs. 

Issuing Authority Personnel Title:   Vital Statistics (Officier d’Etat Civil).

Registration Criteria:  The Tribunal of First Instance (Tribunal de Premier Instance) deliberates and issues a decision granting or denying an adoption following a review by the court’s Chief. Prosecutor (Commissaire du Gouvernement); if approved, the court will issue an adoption judgment (homologue).  Once the Director General of Taxation stamps the judgment, the Tribunal of First Instance will enforce (exequatur) the judgment and issue the adoption order (acte d’adoption). Then, the Dean (Doyen) of the Tribunal serves notice on the Civil Registrar’s Office / Vital Statistics Office (Officier d’Etat Civil) of the adoption approval. After the Civil Registrar’s Office issues and signs the adoption decree, the Tribunal of First Instance will legalize the decree.

Procedure for Obtaining: The U.S. adoption service providers, usually through their local representatives, request the adoption certificate from the Office of the Civil Registrar.

Certified Copies Available: Yes.  The National Archives (Les Archives Nationales d'Haiti) attests the adoption decree after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalizes the document.  An extract of the adoption decree (Extrait d’Adoption) can be obtained for a fee of 700 Haitian Gourdes through SogeXpress or another “multiservice”.      

Comments: Detailed information about the adoption process in Haiti is available here .

Identity Card

Fees: There are no fees

Document Name: Carte D’identification Nationale (National Identity Card). Also known as a “Voting Card”.

Issuing Authority: Office of National Identity (ONI).

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Haitian Flag and seal, thumbprint on the back, beige, teal, pink overlay over photo.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Director of the Office of National Identity (ONI).

Registration Criteria: Must be a Haitian national.

Procedure for Obtaining: The applicant must submit his/her original birth certificate or an extrait in order to obtain this identity card.

Comments: None

Police, Court, Prison Records

Police records.

Fees: 102 HTG; issued domestically only.

Document Name: Certificat de Police.

Issuing Authority: Direction Central de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ).

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Blue seal with the signature of the director of the DCPJ.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire.

Registration Criteria: Individual involved may request a Police Certificate personally or through a representative.

Procedure for Obtaining: Police records may be obtained from the Central Bureau of the Judicial Police (Direction Centrale De la Police Judiciaire).

Comments:  Haiti Police records are not required for initial application for an immigrant visa. When/if requested at the time of interview, police records may be obtained from the Central Bureau of the Judicial Police (Direction Centrale De la Police Judiciaire).

Prison Records

Available. For persons imprisoned in the Port-au-Prince area, from the commandant of the penitentiary of Port-au-Prince. The certificate is an informal document issued without charge under the seal of the penitentiary. There are also prisons in other, larger towns of Haiti, from which prison records may be obtained.  

Court Records

Fees: The certificate is a document issued under the seal of the Court.  The cost is 100 HTG.

Document Name: Casier Judiciare (Criminal Record).

Issuing Authority: Court records may be obtained from the Courthouse.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format:   Wet blue seal. Civil Court seal which indicates the name of the issuing court.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Dean of the Court or the Government Commissioner.

Registration Criteria: None

Procedure for Obtaining: Present at civil court to request the record.  Can be picked up after a minimum of 15 days.

Alternate Documents:  There are no alternate documents

Comments: It is issued by the civil court in the town in which the individual was incarcerated.  Issuance requires a minimum of 15 days.

Military Records

Unavailable.

Passports & Other Travel Documents

Travel documents.

Types Available (Regular, Diplomatic, and Official: Diplomatic, regular and official passports are issued, all Haitian passports are machine readable.   Haiti also issues a Permis de Sejour (Residence permit) to every non-Haitian person over the age of 21 who intends to remain in Haiti for more than three months.  

Fees: Domestically, the cost is 6000 HTG. All requests from abroad should be directed to a Haitian Embassy or Consulate.

Document Name: Passport; Permis de Sejour.

Issuing Government Authority: Ministry of Interior, Haitian Immigration.

Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Varies per passport. Ordinary passports are blue, diplomatic passports are red, official passports are green, and the Permis de Sejour is brown.  The cover has gold embossing with two end pages and 32 inner pages.  There is security printing on the two end pages visible under ultraviolet light, tactile two-color intaglio printed cannons, and PEAK graphic which shifts image depending on the angle.

Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Ministry of Interior, Haitian Immigration.

Registration Criteria: 6000 HTG fee, birth extract, ID card, application marriage and divorce certificates.

Procedure for Obtaining: Must present to General Directorate of Taxes to pay the 6000 HTG fee, and then take the receipt, birth extract, ID card, and application to immigration for application.  Marriage certificates are required for women.  Divorce certificates are required for all applicants.

Other Documents Available:

Recognition Certificates: Filed by father of child born out of wedlock in cases in which the child was already registered at birth by the mother. Child listed as ‘Naturel/le’ on Birth Certificate. This does not constitute legitimization. Extraits can be obtained from the National Archives as specified above. There may be a fee for this service. US dollar fee applies only to requests by mail from overseas.

Other Records

Recognition certificates.

Available. Filed by father of child born out of wedlock in cases in which the child was already registered at birth by the mother. This does not constitute legitimization. Extraits can be obtained from the National Archives as specified above. There may be a fee for this service. US dollar fee applies only to requests by mail from overseas.

• Visa Issuing Posts

Post Title:   Port-au-Prince (Embassy)

Address:  

Tabarre 41 Route de Tabarre Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Phone Number:   011-509-2229-8000

Comments / Additional Information:  The U.S. Embassy has a contracted call center to answer all visa related inquiries. Their contact information is:

(Haiti) +509-2812-2929 (U.S.) 1-703-544-7842 [email protected]

Email: 

For any questions relating to potential fraud please contact [email protected] . For any matters relating to American Citizens Services please contact [email protected] .

Visa Services

All visa categories for all of Haiti.

Additional Information for Reciprocity

• Reciprocity: What's New
• Temporary Reciprocity Schedule
• Country Acronyms
• Terrorist Designation Lists
• State Sponsors of Terrorism
• Treaty Countries

Afghanistan

Antigua and Barbuda

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brunei Darussalam

Burkina Faso

Cayman Islands

Central African Republic

Congo the Democratic Republic of the

Curaçao

Czech Republic

Côte d'Ivoire

Dominican Republic

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Iran, Islamic Republic of

Israel, Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of

Lao People's Democratic Republic

Liechtenstein

Marshall Islands

Micronesia, Federated States of

Moldova, Republic of

Netherlands

New Caledonia

New Zealand

North Korea

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Palestinian Authority

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Russian Federation

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Sao Tome and Principe

Saudi Arabia

Sierra Leone

Sint Maarten (Dutch part)

Solomon Islands

South Africa

South Korea

South Sudan

Switzerland

Timor-Leste

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkmenistan

Turks and Caicos Islands

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Virgin Islands, British

Wallis and Futuna

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US issues level 3 travel advisory to China amid safety concerns. Here's what to know

Are you thinking about traveling to China to visit or study abroad? The U.S. government suggests reconsidering your trip for now. 

According to the U.S. Department of State , traveling to China is under a level 3 travel advisory , warning Americans to reconsider. The State Department has four warning levels. The fourth is “Do not travel.”

Is it safe to travel to China right now?

The U.S. is asking Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to various reasons, including concerns about health and safety, such as the prevalence of contagious diseases like COVID-19, as well as political tensions or security risks in certain regions.

As of April 12, there are some specific areas that the U.S. is asking people to reconsider travel to. Those areas include:

• Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including exit bans and the risk of wrongful detentions.
• Exercise increased caution when traveling to the Hong Kong SAR due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
• Reconsider travel to the Macau SAR due to a limited ability to provide emergency consular services. 

Additionally, the U.S. government may issue travel advisories based on factors like civil unrest, natural disasters, or other hazards that could affect travelers' well-being.

Americans detained in China

Mark Swidan — a man from Houston, Texas — has been detained in China for over 10 years on drug charges. According to The Texas Tribune , Swidan was detained in China in 2012 while on a trip looking for materials for his home and business in Houston. Chinese authorities arrested him after his driver and translator were found in possession of drugs. The driver blamed Swidan, who is accused of trafficking and manufacturing methamphetamine.

A review of Swidan’s case said there were no drugs on him or in his hotel. Last year, the Republic of China’s Jiangmen Intermediate Court denied Swidan’s appeal and upheld his death penalty with a two-year suspended death sentence.

Other Americans considered wrongfully detained include Chinese American businessman Kai Li from Long Island, N.Y., and California pastor David Lin.

What countries have a Level 3 travel warning?

• Trinidad & Tobago
• El Salvador
• South Sudan
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Papua New Guinea
• Saudi Arabia

What countries have a Level 4 travel warning?

• Afghanistan
• Central African Republic
• North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
• Burkina Faso

Traveling abroad? Here are some safety tips

U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the State Department’s free  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  and to prepare contingency plans for emergencies. 

Safety tips if you're traveling outside the U.S.:

• Don't travel alone.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Keep a low profile.
• Try not to be flashy.
• Avoid going to places at night, especially by yourself.

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Airlines are ordered to give full refunds instead of vouchers and to stop hiding fees

Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

Travelers and their luggage in a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2023.

WASHINGTON — In an effort to crack down on airlines that charge passengers steep fees to check bags and change flights, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced new regulations aimed at expanding consumer protections .

One of the final rules announced Wednesday requires airlines to show the full price of travel before passengers pay for their tickets. The other will force airlines to provide prompt cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly changed.

"Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them - without having to ask," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement announcing the new rules.

Taking on junk fees is popular. But can it win Biden more voters?

Surprise junk fees have become a large and growing source of revenue for airlines in recent years, according to the DOT.

"Today's announcements will require airlines to both provide passengers better information about costs before ticket purchase, and promptly provide cash refunds to passengers when they are owed — not only saving passengers time and money, but also preventing headaches," Buttigieg said.

The airline industry is unlikely to welcome the new rules. At a hearing on the proposed fee rule in March 2023, an industry lobbying group representing American, Delta and United said it would be too difficult for airlines to disclose their charges more clearly.

"The amount of unwanted and unneeded information forced upon passengers" by the new policy would only cause "confusion and frustration," warned Doug Mullen, the deputy general counsel at Airlines for America . "Very few, if any, need or want this information, and especially when they are initially trying to understand schedule and fare options."

But the DOT insists its new rule will give consumers the information they need to better understand the true costs of air travel.

Transportation Department cracks down on airline 'junk fees'

"I believe this is to the benefit of the sector as a whole," Buttigieg said in an interview with NPR's Morning Edition , because passengers will have "more confidence in the aviation sector."

The new rules require airlines to disclose all baggage, change, and cancellation fees, and to share that information with third-party booking sites and travel agents.

The regulation also prohibits bait-and-switch tactics, the DOT says, that disguise the true cost of flights by advertising a low base fare that does not include all mandatory fees.

"This is really about making sure that we create a better experience for passengers, and a stronger aviation sector in the United States," Buttigieg said in the NPR interview.

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