American Citizens Services Newsletter

ACS Newsletter (May 2006)

U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong

Welcome to the May newsletter! Here are this month's topics:

     -- Macau Day - May 24, 2006
     -- 2006 Election Information
     -- Registering to Vote: Another Possible Option
     -- Renewing U.S. Drivers Licenses While Overseas
     -- U.S. Visitor Visas for Domestic Helpers
     -- Online Appointment System for all American Citizens Services
     -- Need more passport pages?
     -- Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures
     -- Subscribing/Unsubscribing

Macau Day - May 24, 2006

On Wednesday, May 24, 2006, our staff will travel to Macau to provide limited services for American Citizens. Services to be offered during this visit include notarials (US$30/HKD240 for each signature of consular officer), passport processing (US$82/HKD656, US$67/HKD536, or US$97/HKD776 depending on age and type), and birth registration (US$65/HKD520 for each child). These services will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Academy of Music, located at Rua de Santa Clara, No. 19, 2/F., adjacent to City Hall and near Catholic Social Services, Rua de Santa Clara 13, Macau. Clients who are physically challenged and/or require special arrangements to access this location may call 2841-2211, 2841-2323 or 2841-2225 in advance to facilitate access.

To enable us to best assist you in Macau-
     -- Please check our website (http://www.hongkongacs.com) for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service.
     -- Please present your passport for all services.
     -- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.).
     -- Please have all relevant form(s) completed before requesting any passport services. Download the forms from our web site.
     -- Blank visa pages may be added to undamaged U.S. passports, free of charge. Additional visa pages will not be added to one year emergency passports or to damaged passports. Download the necessary forms from our web site. If you need extra pages for your passport, please fax us a copy of your passport's personal data page by noon on February 13, 2005 (Monday). Please write "Macau - Extra Pages" at the top and fax to (852) 2845-4845.
     -- Please bring exact cash (US or HK dollars) for any fee services you require. Patacas will not be accepted.
     -- If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.

) for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service. -- Please present your passport for all services. -- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.). -- Please have all relevant form(s) completed before requesting any passport services. Download the forms from our web site. -- Blank visa pages may be added to undamaged U.S. passports, free of charge. Additional visa pages will not be added to one year emergency passports or to damaged passports. Download the necessary forms from our web site. If you need extra pages for your passport, please fax us a copy of your passport's personal data page by noon on February 13, 2005 (Monday). Please write "Macau - Extra Pages" at the top and fax to (852) 2845-4845. -- Please bring exact cash (US or HK dollars) for any fee services you require. Patacas will not be accepted. -- If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.) for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service. -- Please present your passport for all services. -- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.). -- Please have all relevant form(s) completed before requesting any passport services. Download the forms from our web site. -- Blank visa pages may be added to undamaged U.S. passports, free of charge. Additional visa pages will not be added to one year emergency passports or to damaged passports. Download the necessary forms from our web site. If you need extra pages for your passport, please fax us a copy of your passport's personal data page by noon on May 22, 2006 (Monday). Please write "Macau - Extra Pages" at the top and fax to (852) 2845-4845. -- Please bring exact cash (US or HK dollars) for any fee services you require. Patacas will not be accepted. -- If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.

2006 Election Information

Did you know that the 2006 elections officially began with the Texas State Primary on March 7 and that all States will hold primaries this year before the November 7 general election? Primary elections play an important role in the electoral process. Voters in state primaries select their party's candidates for state and federal offices such as Governor, U.S. Senator, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

You can find a wealth of information about voting, including State and monthly election calendars, links to on-line registration and an Absentee Ballot request form, and State by State Instructions at http://www.fvap.gov. This is the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). The program's three goals are to 1 ) inform and educate U.S. citizens worldwide of their right to vote; 2) foster voting participation; and 3) protect the integrity of, and simultaneously enhance , the electoral process at the Federal, State and local levels.

. This is the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). The program's three goals are to 1 ) inform and educate U.S. citizens worldwide of their right to vote; 2) foster voting participation; and 3) protect the integrity of, and simultaneously enhance , the electoral process at the Federal, State and local levels. . This is the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). The program's three goals are to 1 ) inform and educate U.S. citizens worldwide of their right to vote; 2) foster voting participation; and 3) protect the integrity of, and simultaneously enhance , the electoral process at the Federal, State and local levels.

You can also learn more on our web page at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_voteoverseas.html

Registering to Vote: Another Possible Option

Overseas Vote Foundation at http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/ states that it is dedicated to making the right to vote accessible and simple for all Americans living outside of the United States. They provide on-line assistance for those wishing to register to vote.

Renewing U.S. Drivers Licenses While Overseas

If you find that your U.S. state drivers license is about to expire and you would like to have it renewed, you should contact the DMV office in the state where your current license was issued. Some states will allow you to renew your license while overseas, others will not.

A good place to start your search for information on this process is http://www.dmv.org. From there you can link to your state's DMV office website which usually posts information on procedures for renewing your license. Although the U.S. Consulate has no role in the renewal process, we can notarize certain documents for your if required by your state for renewal. See our information on notarials at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_notarial.html.

. From there you can link to your state's DMV office website which usually posts information on procedures for renewing your license. Although the U.S. Consulate has no role in the renewal process, we can notarize certain documents for your if required by your state for renewal. See our information on notarials at .. From there you can link to your state's DMV office website which usually posts information on procedures for renewing your license. Although the U.S. Consulate has no role in the renewal process, we can notarize certain documents for your if required by your state for renewal. See our information on notarials at .

U.S. Visas for Domestic Helpers

The summer travel season is fast approaching and many of our subscribers and their families are planning visits to the United States. Under certain limited circumstances, a B-1 visa may be issued to a domestic helper accompanying or following to join the employer on a temporary visit to the United States.

In our experience, we have found that many domestic helpers in Hong Kong have difficulty qualifying for nonimmigrant visas. The decision to grant a visa is based on the domestic helper's situation in Hong Kong. The applicant must demonstrate that he/she has sufficiently strong family, social, or economic ties to their place of residence to ensure that their projected stay in the United States will be temporary.

Please visit our website for more information about how to apply for a non-immigrant visa on behalf of a domestic helper:

http://www.hongkong.usconsulate.gov/visa_services.html

Online Appointment System for All American Citizens Services

Online appointments are required for all services provided by the American Citizens Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General Hong. Book your appointment at http://www.hongkongacs.com.

If you need directions to our offices, try this online searchable map:

http://www.ypmap.com/en/viewer.asp?mapService=LocationMap

Search for us by street address at 26 Garden Road.

Need more passport pages?

If your full-validity U.S. passport has not expired yet, but has no blank pages left for say additional Chinese visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in about 45 minutes, while you wait. You need to make an appointment for this service. Learn more at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_supplement.html.

Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures

The Consulate will be closed on the following holidays:

May 1, 2006		Labor Day
May 29, 2006		Memorial Day
May 31, 2006		Tuen Ng Festival

Subscribing/Unsubscribing

Anyone who wishes to sign up to receive this monthly ACS email newsletter and the travel advice we provide can do so simply by going to our web page at http://www.hongkongacs.com and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.

and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.

New subscribers will be sent the last few messages we have sent out in a digest form to help them catch up. Back issues are on the web at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_newsletter.html.

This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong, tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail: questions@hongkongacs.com; website: http://www.hongkongacs.com; All services by online appointment only.

Last modified: April 25, 2006

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