THE MOST WIDELY CIRCUL ATED CARIBBEAN AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN FLORIDA
CNWEEKLYNE WS.COM
THURSDAY JULY 10, 2025
VISA PRICE hike
New Visa and Immigration Fees to Take Effect Caribbean nationals and Caribbean Americans with family abroad could soon face steep new costs when applying for U.S. visas, asylum, or immigration relief, following the enactment of a sweeping immigration bill on July 4. The legislation is expected to make the U.S. immigration and visa process significantly more expensive for foreign passport holders. It passed both chambers of Congress in early July and was signed into law by President Trump during an Independence Day ceremony at the White House.
The law introduces a series of new fees and hikes to existing ones, all of which are expected to heavily impact Caribbean nationals applying for temporary visas, work permits, asylum, or green cards. Among the most notable changes: A new $250 “visa integrity fee” for all temporary visa applicants. This applies on top of the current $185 application fee for popular visas such as: • • • • • • •
B-1/B-2 (tourist/business) C-1 (transit) D (crew) F (students) M (vocational students) J (exchange visitors) I (journalists) The $250 fee (paid upon issuance of the visa) may be continues on B3 – Visa Price Hike
Jamaican teachers strike in London over alleged discrimination Jamaican teachers recruited to the UK in search of better opportunities say they are now facing discrimination, underpayment, and burnout — triggering strike action this week at a secondary school in south London. Staff at Harris Academy Beckenham will stage a two-day strike starting Tuesday, citing severe overwork, breaches of union rights, and unequal treatment of overseas-trained teachers. The National Education Union (NEU), which represents the striking staff, says many of the affected teachers are Jamaican nationals recruited by the Harris Federation — the UK’s second-largest academy chain. The protest follows earlier reports of unequal pay across the Federation. In 2024,
The Guardian newspaper revealed that Jamaican teachers working for Harris were being paid significantly less than their UKtrained counterparts despite having similar experience. Many were classified as
“unqualified,” limiting their salaries and causing some to fall thousands of pounds below colleagues doing the same job. The revelation sparked outrage among teachers, who described the pay gap as “devastating,” particularly given the high cost of living in London. The Harris Federation, which runs 54 state-funded schools, began actively recruiting from Jamaica in 2018, offering salaries far higher than what teachers typically earn in the Caribbean. But union officials and affected staff say the reality has been far more difficult — with one teacher claiming she was dismissed while five months pregnant, and others citing bullying, excessive monitoring, and constantly shifting performance targets.
“What they did to me was cruel,” said the teacher who lost her job. “I wanted to challenge it legally but the whole process was traumatising and I feared the stress would affect my baby.” Another Jamaican teacher described an exhausting and demoralising environment: “They set us targets but the goalposts are always moving… it erodes you as a teacher.” The NEU says many teachers at Harris Beckenham are working far beyond their contractual limits — clocking an estimated 95 extra hours a year and covering for colleagues almost daily. A union survey found that nearly 90% of teachers reported experiencing stress, while 80% said they were considering leaving the school. continues on B3 – Jamaican Teachers
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
NEWSMAKER Jamaica’s Justice Winston Anderson sworn in as President of CCJ a3
CARIBBEAN Digicel shuts down Loop News, sets deadline to close SportsMax a5
WOMEN IN FOCUS The Currency of Grit: Jamaican CEO Dr. Kesha Christie launches empowerment memoir B1
Traders & Investors Check out the Jamaica Stock Exchange Weekly Bulletin A4