Busy Signal requests government intervention over denied Canadian visa

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Dancehall artist Busy Signal has asked Jamaican authorities to intervene in his immigration issues after his application for a Canadian visitor visa was denied over concerns he would “leave the country at the end of his stay.”

He One more night The singer alleges that the denial, especially its tone, is possibly “racist.”

In an Instagram post on Friday, he shared a letter from the Canadian High Commission dated December 19, 2024 and addressed to “Reanno Devon Gordon.”

“I am not satisfied that you will leave Canada at the end of your stay as required by paragraph 179(b) of the IRPR (Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations). “I am rejecting your request because you have not established that you will leave Canada based on the following factors,” the letter said.

The letter further explained: “The purpose of your visit to Canada is not consistent with a temporary stay given the details you provided in your application.”

Busy Signal appeared to take offense at the tone of the letter, claiming that the response and denial of her visa application smacked of “injustice and prejudice.”

Citing his “current” clean legal record, he even upped the ante and suggested the response was “racist.”

“As a globally recognized Jamaican artist with an impeccable business history, no current police record of any kind in any country, with active visas from the United Kingdom (United Kingdom), United States (United States of America) and Europe, I call “To the authorities of my country for their support in addressing the injustice, prejudice and racist response I received when the Canadian High Commission/Embassy denied my visa application, citing that I would not leave Canada,” said Busy.

Dancehall fans reacted with anger and dismay, with one calling it “complete disrespect.”

“The Canadian embassy is a big joke,” said one.

Another declared: “Wow Canada, what a shame that… we gave Busy his visa, his Canadian fans want to see him in concert huh.”

However, one fan questioned the accusation of unfairness, noting: “I’m not an expert, but it looks like the visa was submitted incorrectly… it says temporary resident and it clearly says visitor visa… you couldn’t act on that anyway.” visa”. .”

Another, a so-called immigration lawyer, even suggested that Busy Signal should have applied for a “work visa” and not a visitor visa.

Busy Signal responded refuting this point, saying: “So I always applied to visit first, showed up in the country to meet potential business partners before planning a tour or concert and then applied for a work visa. This was just the first step. So no, I didn’t give the impression that I planned to work on a visit. Over 20 years in the music business traveling. Then neither I nor my team would do something so stupid.”

Busy Signal’s past legal struggles are well documented. Nah go to jail The artist committed transgressions that included being arrested in May 2012 in London, United Kingdom on an extradition warrant, then imprisoned in Jamaica and then extradited to the United States, where he was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for bail jumping. .

Busy Signal had previously been charged in February 2002 with two counts related to cocaine trafficking that carried a sentence of at least 15 years in prison. He skipped bail on that charge.

Finally, in July 2012, Busy pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to appear in court and admitted that he left the United States 10 years ago before a scheduled trial on drug charges.

He then served two months in a U.S. federal prison based on time he had already served in custody.

After completing probation, he applied for and received his U.S. visa, allowing him to return. In 2017, Busy Signal returned to New York, marking their first visit to the United States in several years.

-Claude Mills