Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel addresses guests at his birthday party hosted by Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) on January 6, 2025.
Dancehall superstar, Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer will know by Friday, whether he will receive the green light to enter the United States of America (US) again for the first time in more than 20 years.
A well-placed source in Palmer’s camp told Observer Online on Tuesday morning that the artiste, who is nominated for the Grammy’s in the Reggae category, along with his team are keeping their fingers crossed that he will once again have physical access to the US.
Vybz Kartel has high hopes of making an appearance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
The entertainer was nominated for Best Reggae Album for his EP Party With Me.
There was widespread speculation on Monday that the entertainer was granted a US visa after he was spotted at the US Embassy in Kingston.
Subsequently, Palmer posted a video of himself smiling from ear to ear on his social media pages on Monday, telling his followers and fans that God is the greatest and that faith can move mountains. Palmer also said that “team work make the dream work”.
“Never forget that in all things, you have to put God first and do good. Believe weh mi a seh. Wah this under mi nose? A mouth,” Palmer said, ending with his very popular slang.
However, according to the Observer source, he is not yet in possession of a US visa.
“Everyone is speculating including him, because he doesn’t have it in hand yet and they haven’t told him point blank that he got it. We are hoping for the best though. When he submitted the documents yesterday they said he will know by Friday. They said he can collect his passport on Friday.
“The type of visa he applied for is not a visitor’s visa. It is a special visa given to entertainers that will allow him to work. After the Grammy’s he would be able to perform at shows without issues. As a matter of fact, this type of visa is easier for him to get than the visitor’s visa,” the source shared.
The source explained that Palmer had problems returning to the US due to a belief that his marriage in 2006 to then New York bank manager, Stacy Elliot was not legitimate but according to the source, the relationship was very much authentic.
“It has been more than 20 years since he has been in the US. The marriage he had was what caused the problem. There was a belief that it wasn’t legitimate but it was very much real,” the source said.