American Citizens Services Newsletter
ACS Newsletter (August 2007)
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Welcome to the August newsletter! Here are this month's topics:
New Topics:
Continuing Topics of Interest:
Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures
The Consulate General will be closed on the following holidays: |
| |
| September 3 | | Labor Day |
| |
| September 26 | | The day following Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival |
Macau Day – August 1, 2007
On Wednesday, August 1, 2007 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).
Please note that due to recent changes in U.S. passport processing requirements, all requests for additional passport pages must be made at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong . We are no longer able to offer this service in Macau . We apologize for any inconvenience.
Services will be available from 12:00 noon 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://hongkong.usconsulate.gov ) 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.
- 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.
VOTING INFORMATION FOR THE 2008 U.S. ELECTIONS
All American citizens are reminded that 2008 is a presidential election year in the United States . Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as the general elections in November. This election cycle, some presidential primary elections will take place as early as January 2008, and a significant number of primaries are set for February.
We strongly encourage you to register to vote and/or request absentee ballots as early as possible to ensure that you will receive all ballots for which you are eligible. Should questions or problems occur, you would still be able to address them in time to vote well in advance of the 2008 primaries.
The following is the basic absentee voting process:
1. You complete an application form (see below) and send it to local election officials in the U.S.
2. The local official approves your request, or contacts you (ideally by e-mail) for further information
3. The local official sends you an absentee ballot for all elections for which you are eligible to cast a ballot
4. You vote the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline
The official US Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov . It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot for use by those who register in time but fail to receive an official ballot.
Overseas citizens groups help people to vote. We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad or other American citizens groups or organizations for assistance in registering to vote and requesting absentee ballots. Links to these groups are at http://www.fvap.gov/links/ocitlinks.html .
To register to vote and to request an absentee ballot, download the Federal Post Card Application at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html . You can also obtain this form from overseas American citizens groups or from the U.S. Consulate General. Fill it out and send it in, following the guidelines for your state. A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are using the Consulate General's APO or diplomatic pouch system, is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.html . You may submit this envelope to the American Citizens Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General and we will return it on your behalf.
Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's procedures is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html . Information about your state's deadlines to register and vote is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html . A calendar of 2008 election dates should soon be available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html .
States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a News Release. News Releases are available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/releases.html . You should also look for changes in your state's regulations, deadlines and mailing addresses at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagerrata.html .
Be an educated voter. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues is widely available and easy to obtain via the Internet. Use the links appearing on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/links/otherlinks.html , or choose any one of several search engines to locate articles and information.
An emergency ballot is available. If your state's ballot receipt deadline is less than 3 weeks away, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available on the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/forms.html .
The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Consulate General is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call 852-2841-2225 or 2323 or send an e-mail to VoteHongKong@state.gov. Look for notices from the U.S. Consulate General throughout the year relating to the 2008 elections.
Again, we strongly encourage you to begin this process as soon as possible.
Notarized Parental Consent for Passport Services for Minors Under 14
Effective July 2, 2001, U.S. law requires both parents' consent to passport services applications for minors under 14. This consent is normally established by both parents signing the application in front of a U.S. Consular officer. Note that both parents must prove their parentage and custodial status when granting their consent every time a U.S. citizen child under age 14 applies for passport services.
Parentage status may be established with an original or certified copy of the child's birth certificate listing both parents' full names. Custodial status may be proven by an original or certified copy of a court order.
U.S. citizens under age 14 applying for passports must appear in person at American Citizen Services. This requirement does not apply to requests for adding visa pages or other amendments to current U.S. passports.
When only one parent is available to execute the application, that parent must provide, under penalty of perjury, documentary evidence demonstrating that he or she has sole legal custody of the child or has the written consent of the other parent to the passport issuance.
Effective November 1, 2004, written consent must be notarized and provide unequivocal consent to passport issuance. We can accept faxed copies of this consent statement, but the notary seal must be visible in the faxed copy.
Check Your Passport's Validity
Please carefully review the validity of your current U.S. passport. Many governments require US travelers to have at least 6 months validity left in their passports for entry into their countries.
Regular passports are received within 10 calendar days after the US Consulate receives the application. More information can be found at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_passports.html
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. In some cases, you can have a courier assist you in this process. Learn more at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_supplement.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://hongkong.usconsulate.gov
Internet-Based Registration System
U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can record foreign trip and residence information at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ . The Department of State invites US Citizens to register themselves and their families. The registration information is used to communicate with US citizens and assist them in case of an emergency. If citizens are already registered with this consulate, the Department asks that they please re-register on line to update their records.
The registration site provides up-to-date travel information customized to each citizen's unique travel agenda and itinerary. The data citizens provide is secured behind Department of State firewalls, accessed only by cleared personnel in Embassies, Consulates, and the Department of State, and releasable only with the US Citizen's permission under the provisions of the Privacy Act.
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 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: acshk@state.gov; website: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov; All services by online appointment only.
Last modified: July 31, 2007
American Citizens Services
Newsletter
