American Citizens Services
April 2009 American Citizens Services Newsletter
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:
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY
We would like to hear from you! If you have recently come to the American Citizens Services Unit for any type of service, please visit http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=1163308 and complete our customer satisfaction survey. The survey will only take a few minutes and feedback on your recent experience at the U.S. Consulate will help us better meet your expectations.
PLANNED CONSULAR SERVICES IN MACAU
On Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 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, Diners Club or Discover card. Customers must present their card at the time of payment and the person whose name is listed on the card must be present to sign the payment slip. All charges will be in U.S. dollars.
Provided your passport is in good condition, the American Citizens Services unit will also process requests for additional passport pages. 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 Friday, April 24, 2009. The form is available for download on our website. 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 acshk@state.gov 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 (see map - PDF format)*, located at Rua de Santa Clara, No. 19, 2/F, adjacent to City Hall and near Catholic Social Services. Individuals 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 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 U.S. 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.
BUSINESS DISPUTES IN MAINLAND CHINA
Recently, incidents of foreign businesspeople, including American citizens, being detained against their will by workers or hired gangs for the specific purpose of extorting money or to intimidate have increased. Typically, the foreigner is threatened with violence and detained at a factory, hotel, or private residence until payment is negotiated and delivered. Sometimes the foreigner is physically assaulted or abducted.
Anyone entering into a contract in China should have it thoroughly examined both in the United States and in China. Contracts entered into in the United States are not enforced by Chinese courts. Additionally, Americans doing business in China should be aware that if they become involved in a business and/or civil dispute, the Chinese government may prohibit them from leaving China until the matter is resolved. There are many cases of American citizens being prevented from leaving China for months and even years while their civil cases are resolved. Civil cases may sometimes be regarded as criminal cases and the defendant may be placed in custody.
UPCOMING CLOSURES
The Consulate General will be closed in April on the following holidays: |
Friday, April 10 | | Good Friday |
Monday, April 13 | | Easter Monday |
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 and Macau. 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: April 1, 2009
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