News Letter for June 2008

The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following monthly newsletter via its warden system as a public service to U.S. citizens in the People's Republic of China.  Please feel free to disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.

This is our inaugural issue.  If there are any particular topics you are interested in, please contact ACS at amcitbeijing@state.gov.

In this issue, the following topics are addressed:

1. Renewing U.S. Passports Ahead of Summer Travel (including passports for minors and adding pages to your passport)
2. Fact sheet on the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games
3. New Website for U.S. students abroad
4. Ensure That Your Absentee Vote Is Counted
5. Voting issues:
• Maryland Special Election, 4th Congressional District, June 17
• Minnesota Enacts Bill Regarding Overseas Voters
• Voter registration websites by state
6. Recent Travel Warnings and Announcements
7. Upcoming Holidays: June 9 (Dragon Boat Festival) and July 4 (US Independence Day)
8. Embassy Contact Information

1. Renewing U.S. Passports Ahead of Summer Travel

U.S. citizens who will be traveling this summer are strongly encouraged to check their passports (and those of their family members) now to confirm that they have not expired or will not expire soon.  Don't let a long-awaited vacation or a move to another country become a nightmare because of an expired passport.  Note that some countries require foreigners to have a passport with a validity of at least six months in order to be granted entry to their country; you should check with the Embassy of the country you are traveling to.  If your passport has expired or is nearing its expiration date, you should begin the process of applying for a new one immediately in order to beat the summer rush.  A passport applied for at the Embassy can take 7 to 10 days to process.  For information on renewal procedures, please see http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/passports.html.

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

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. Learn more at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_extra.html.

2. Fact sheet on the upcoming Olympic Games

We have created a fact sheet specifically for the upcoming Olympic Games which addresses health, security and visa issues for the summer of 2008.   Please go to http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_olympic.html for more information.

3.  New Website for US Students Studying Abroad

The Department of State has launched a public affairs campaign that targets American citizen college students and young people studying and traveling internationally.   The campaign is designed to promote safe, smart travel to college students and spring-breakers.   

Through a new comprehensive website created for the campaign, http://www.studentsabroad.state.gov, the State Department offers college students a one-stop reference for international travel.  The website offers country specific information, tips for safe travel, and other important information, such as who to contact if the student is victim of a crime; what to do in case of a natural disaster or emergency; where the nearest U.S. embassy is located; when to apply for a passport and visa; and how to vote in U.S. election from abroad.    

4.  Ensure That Your Absentee Vote is Counted

Here are ten ways to help ensure that your absentee vote is counted:

(1) Start by contacting your Embassy Voting Assistance Officer for help in absentee registration and voting.  The Embassy's Voting Assistance officer is available at votebeijing@state.gov.

(2) Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov for information on the absentee registration and voting process.

(3) Ensure that you have applied for your absentee ballot using the hard copy or on-line versions of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form.   You can pick these up at the Embassy and we will mail them for you.

(4) Make sure your local election official has your current mailing address.

(5) Sign and date all election materials.

(6) Fulfill your state’s witness/notary requirements (if required).

(7) Ensure that your ballot or FPCA is postmarked.

(8) Register to vote and request your ballot in a timely manner - not later than early September 2008.

(9) VOTE - mail your ballot not later than October 15, 2008.

(10) Use the Federal Write In Absentee Ballot if you are overseas and your State absentee ballot does not arrive in time to be mailed back by your state’s deadline.

5.  Voting issues

Please see our website at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_notice.html or at www.travel.state.gov or www.fvap.gov for up to date information and updates on voting in the United States.  Most recent updates include:

• Maryland Special Election, 4th Congressional District, June 17 and
  
• Minnesota Enacts Bill Regarding Overseas Voters

Check your voter registration status

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.

6.  Recent Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts

The U.S. Department of State has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for the following countries, regions, or topics:

China   (earthquake)                 05/30/2008

Hurricane Season                     05/30/2008

Burma (Myanmar)                    05/05/2008

Chad                                        04/30/2008

Haiti                                         04/30/2008

Lebanon                                   05/30/2008

Nepal                                       05/07/2008

Somalia                                    05/20/2008

South Africa                             05/21/2008

Zimbabwe                                05/14/2008

For additional information about these travel warnings and alerts, click on this link:http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html

7.  Upcoming Holidays: June 9th and July 4th

American Citizen Services will be closed at June 9th in observance of the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.  We will also be closed July 4th for the US Independence Day.

Please be advised that the days just before and after holidays are usually exceptionally busy in the American Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy.  Do not be surprised at a significantly longer wait for consular services on those days.  If you visit us outside those times, you should have a shorter wait.

A complete list of all of our holiday closings for 2008 is available on-line at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/holidays.html

8.  Embassy Contact Information

Write to us or visit our office in person during work hours
American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy, Beijing
No.2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District
Beijing, P.R. China 100600

The American Citizen Services section is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday except American and Chinese holidays, between the hours of 8:30am-12:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm.  On Wednesdays we are only open during the morning from 8:30-12:00pm.  Be sure to bring your passport for identification.

Call the Embassy
(8610) 6532-3431
Email us
amcitbeijing@state.gov

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