American Citizens Services Newsletter
ACS Newsletter (April 2008)
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau
Welcome to the April 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:
April 4 | | Ching Ming Festival |
May 26 | | U.S. Memorial Day |
IRS – ECONOMIC STIMULUS PAYMENTS ANNOUNCEMENT
Congress passed, and the President signed, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. In response to this, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has developed Tax Package 1040A-3, "Information about Economic Stimulus Payments for Social Security, Veterans and Other Beneficiaries." In the next several weeks, the IRS will mail approximately 500,000 of these packages to individuals living outside the U.S. In the meantime, U.S. citizens may refer to the IRS web site at www.IRS.gov for information on benefits, eligibility and other details regarding the Economic Stimulus Act.
OLYMPIC TORCH COMING TO HONG KONG
The Beijing Olympic Torch is scheduled to pass through Hong Kong on May 2, 2008. As with any public celebration, we expect large crowds to gather and some normal traffic disruption along the torch route. U.S. citizens are advised to check local media sources for the most updated information and on planned activities surrounding the event.
MACAU DAY
On Wednesday, April 30, 2008, our staff will travel to Macau to provide limited consular services for American Citizens. Services to be offered during this visit include notarials (US$30 for each signature of the consular officer), passport processing (US$75, US$85, or US$100 depending on age and type), birth registration (US$65 for each child), and adding additional visa pages. Please note that we will only be able to accept credit cards as payment – no cash transactions will be permitted. Customers may pay using MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diner's Club or Discovery Card. Customers must present their card at the time of payment and the person whose name is listed on the card must be in the office to sign the payment slip. All charges will be in U.S. dollars.
Provided your passport is in good condition, the American Citizen Services unit will also process requests for additional passport pages. Please note that this service is being offered on a trial basis only. In order to have additional pages inserted in your passport in Macau, you must complete and sign the application form (DS-4085) in full and scan and email it or fax it to our office no later than Monday, April 28th. In addition, please send a copy of the biographic page of your passport (the page with your photo) with the application. Our email address is questions@hongkongacs.com and our fax number is +852-2845-4845. Bring the completed application form with your passport to Macau Day, where the additional pages will be added. If we are unable to provide this service to you in Macau, we will notify you in advance of Macau Day and ask you to come to the Consulate General in Hong Kong.
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 +852-2841-2211, 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. Download the appropriate forms and bring them with you.
- 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.).
If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at +852-2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.
VOTING INFORMATION UPDATES
State Voter Registration Verification Websites
States and territories are making it easier to determine your voter registration status. Twenty-two states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have web sites where a voter can check their registration status. The website addresses are subject to change.
Please check http://www.fvap.gov/vao/stregissites.html for updates.
Arizona: https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/select_language.do
Arkansas: https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/
Colorado: www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/voterHome.do;jsessionid=0000XG2ue4KEtN2QUYQ
Delaware, pollingplace.delaware.gov/
District of Columbia: www.dcboee.org/voterreg/vic_step1.asp
Georgia: www.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/Locator.asp
Indiana: www.indianavoters.com/PublicSite/Public/PublicVoterRegistration.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 (Note: You can also check the status of your provisional vote)
Iowa: www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/VoterReg/RegToVote/search.aspx
Kansas: https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/
Kentucky: cdc.ky.gov/VICWeb/index.jsp
Louisiana: sos.louisiana.gov/polllocator/
Maryland: mdelections.umbc.edu (Note: You can get a sample ballot at this site also.)
Michigan: michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1633-49313--,00.html
Nebraska: https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov/ (Note: You can also check the status of your provisional vote.)
Nevada: www.nvsos.gov/elections/
New Mexico: https://voterview.state.nm.us/
North Carolina: www.sboe.state.nc.us/votersearch/seimsvot.htm (Note: You can check the status of your provisional vote at this site also.)
Ohio: www.sos.state.oh.us/sosapps/elections/voterquery.aspx
Pennsylvania: www.dos.state.pa.us/voting/cwp/view.asp?a=1206&Q=446253&sureNav=|
Puerto Rico: www.ceeput.org/serviciosLineas/estatusEelectoral/index.htm
(Note: This site is in Spanish and you need your voter registration number to verify your status.)
Rhode Island: www.sec.state.ri.us/vic/
South Carolina: https://webprod.cio.sc.gov/SCSECVoterWeb/voterInformationSearch.do
Utah: gva1.utah.gov/elections/polling.aspx
Virginia: https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/PublicSite/Public/FT2/PublicLookup.aspx?Link=
Washington: www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/lookup.aspx/
West Virginia: www.wvvotes.com/voters/am-i-registered.php
Upcoming primary elections:
Pennsylvania
April 22, 2008
Additional information:
The Foreign Voter Assistance Program (FVAP) can be contacted via 1-800-438-8683. Citizens may reach the FVAP toll-free from 67 countries using the toll-free numbers listed on the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov. The toll-free number for Hong Kong is 800-962191. Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155, and email at vote@fvap.ncr.gov. You may also register to vote by completing a form at the Consulate – we will be happy to mail the form to the proper authorities.
REMINDER: NEW PASSPORT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL MINORS UNDER AGE 16
On February 1, 2008, new regulations for passports for minors came into effect. The new rule extends the two–parent consent and personal appearance requirements to all minors under the age of 16. This means that 14 and 15 year-olds must also now comply with the same rules that previously applied to minors under 14. Most significantly, a minor under age 16 MUST appear with BOTH parents when submitting an application for a passport. The appearance of both parents cannot be waived, although there is a provision, in certain circumstances, for one parent to present a letter of authorization, together with one attending parent. In addition, the application MUST include the following items:
Application Form DS-11
Proof of U.S. citizenship of the minor
Documentation of evidence of child's relationship to parents/guardians
Parental identification
Notarized parental application authorization letter (If one parent is absent)
Two passport photos (2x2 inches, color photo with a plain white background)
Fees for application (US$82)
Social Security Number
PASSPORT CARDS
The new U.S. passport card is designed to facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card cannot be used to travel by air and cannot be used to enter or exit Hong Kong or Macau. The card will have the same validity period as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for children 15 and younger. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. First-time applicants will pay $45 for adult cards and $35 for children.
At the moment, the U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong and Macau is not able to accept applications for the passport card. Once we are able to accept such applications, an announcement will appear in this newsletter and on our website: http://www.hongkongacs.com.
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. Renewing a passport is easy and new passports are typically 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, but has no blank pages left for visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in two hours or less. 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 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. If you wish to come in for more than one service, please make more than one appointment.
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 and submitting 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://hongkong.usconsulate.gov; All services by online appointment only.
Last modified: April 9, 2008
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