Jamaica Consulate General in Miami provides Jamaican community in South Florida a wealth of services

PALM BEACH – As part of its Community Outreach initiative, the Jamaica Consulate General in Miami and a team of resource persons from partnering agencies were on hand last Saturday (Mar. 21) in Palm Beach County, Florida to provide Jamaican nationals with pertinent information and relevant services.

The all-day session was beneficial to more than 100 persons who turned out to submit applications for passport and citizenship, vital records such as birth, death and marriages certificates as well as obtain relevant information on land titles, property taxes, estate management and probate information.

Clients were able to avail themselves of several services as the team of resource persons included representatives the Registrar General’s Department (RGD), Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA), the National Land Agency (NLA), as well as staff members from the Consulate.

Mrs. Marcia Bodden, a resident of Palm Beach in submitting her passport application for renewal, expressed the usefulness of the program as she was also able to obtain information on land services in Jamaica.

Mr. Donovan Hayden, Director of Estate Management from the National Land Agency, also said that the opportunity to serve persons in the Diaspora was productive, as nationals were able to make inquiries and receive assistance first-hand.

The support team from the RGD office was able to some 20 applications for birth certificates, as well as provide assistance on application for procedures including deed polls, and marriage and death certificates. The RGD also provides information on services regarding genealogical research, registry wedding service, record updating services, late entry of name and late registration.

Mrs. Stacy Johnson, Vice Consul in the Consulate with responsibility for Passport and Immigration Services explained that the event was proven a success as staff members were able to meet the needs of Jamaican nationals in distant territories throughout the Diaspora. As a result of these Outreach Initiatives, Mrs. Johnson indicated that more time was spent with the clients discussing their concerns on a one-on-one basis.

Although they were able to answer numerous inquiries of several of those submitting applications, some 24 applications were completed on location.

The quarterly sessions of the Community Outreach Program would help to improve cooperation between the partnering agencies and the Jamaican community as those persons would be able to secure documents and obtain information from the relevant agencies on site. The series of outreach events were initiated by Consul General Sandra Grant Griffiths, who mentioned that so far, they were working in meeting the needs of the Diaspora, making the Consulate more accessible and client-friendly.

Outreach activities are slated for other cities across the Southern USA including Orlando, Atlanta, Houston, as well as the Cayman Islands.

More than 200 Jamaicans turned out for the last event held in October, last year in Lauderdale Lakes.