Newsletter for December 2008

The U.S. Embassy is transmitting the following newsletter via its warden system as a public service to U.S. citizens in the People's Republic of China.  Please urge your U.S. citizen friends to register with the Department of State so we can include them in our warden messages.  Registration is done on-line at: https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs.  Also, feel free to disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.

If there are any particular topics you are interested in, please contact ACS at amcitbeijing@state.gov.  We welcome your suggestions and your feedback.

In this issue, the following topics are addressed:

1.   Upcoming Holidays: December and January
2.   Intercountry Adoption Website
3.   Notary Service FAQ’s
4.   Recent Travel Alerts and Warnings
5.   Global Entry Pilot Program
6.   Social Security Contact Information and Links
7.   Embassy Contact Information

1. Upcoming Holidays:
The U.S. Embassy will be closed on the following dates:
December 25 & 26 (Thursday and Friday)              Christmas Holiday
January 1 (Thursday)                                         New Year’s Day
January 16 (Friday)                                           Training
January 19 (Monday)                                         Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
January 26, 27, 28 (Mon, Tues, Wed)                   Chinese Lunar New Year

Please be advised that the days just before and after a holiday are usually exceptionally busy in the American Citizen Services Unit of the Embassy.  Please be sure to schedule appointments on-line at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html
 
A complete list of all of our holiday closings for 2008 and 2009 is available at: http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/holidays.html
In case of emergencies, please call the Embassy's emergency number at 86-10-8531-4000 from the United States or 010-8531-4000 within China.

2.  Intercountry Adoption Website
In recognition of National Adoption Day, the Office of Children’s Issues launched a new website devoted exclusively to inter-country adoption.  The website, www.Adoption.state.gov, includes step-by-step instructions for adopting from another country, interactive statistics, and a new publication called “Inter-country Adoption From A-Z”.  The new comprehensive website offers adopting parents, adoption agencies, and others involved in the inter-country adoption process a central resource about adoption.  Adoption.state.gov offers country specific information, and background about the Hague Adoption Convention.

Each year the United States welcomes more foreign-born children into loving adoptive homes than any other nation in the world. Last year alone, Americans adopted over 17,000 children from abroad. However, the process of adopting a child from another country can be difficult. The Office of Children’s Issues hopes that Adoption.state.gov will provide adopting parents with the answers they need.  Our office is fully committed to protecting the welfare and interests of children, the most vulnerable of the world’s citizens.

3.  Notary Service FAQ’s
Notarials and Marriage: Marriage affidavits are one of the most common notary services.  These are documents executed by a U.S. citizen who wishes to be married abroad attesting to the fact that the U.S. citizen’s marital status is single, and is therefore eligible to be married.  This is an important and useful service since without it, U.S. citizens can’t get married in China.  

Notarials and U.S. Vital Records:  Most U.S. states prohibit notaries from certifying true copies of birth, death and marriage records and require the bearer to obtain certified copies of the original document from the custodian of record in the U.S. state.  Consular officers may not certify true copies of vital records from such states, consular officers are authorized to perform only those notarial acts which any notary public is required or authorized by law to do within the United States.  The Embassy can provide an affidavit of true copy, where the requester makes a sworn statement that the document presented is a true copy, a consular officer then attests to the statement.

4.  Recent Travel Warnings and Alerts
The U.S. Department of State has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for the following countries and regions:

India   12/04/2008
Thailand   12/04/2008
Nigeria    12/02/2008
Pakistan    11/21/2008
Nepal    11/21/2008
Eritrea    11/15/2008
Somalia    11/15/2008
Nicaragua   11/15/2008
Mexico   10/14/2008


For additional information about these travel warnings and alerts, go to this site:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html

5.  GLOBAL ENTRY PILOT PROGRAM
The Department of Homeland Security’s Global Entry is a customer service and security program designed to expedite the screening and processing of pre-approved, low-risk travelers entering the U.S. Currently only U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) are eligible to join.

The program is available at Chicago O’Hare International, George Bush Intercontinental (Houston), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, John F. Kennedy International (New York), Los Angeles International, Miami International, and Washington Dulles International airports. Global Entry applicants will voluntarily provide their biographic and biometric information, undergo a background check and complete an interview with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. Once accepted, Global Entry travelers can use a kiosk at any of the pilot airports to verify their identity electronically and make any needed customs declarations. Individuals may apply to the Global Entry pilot program online at https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/.

6. Social Security Administration (SSA) Contact Information and Useful Links
The Social Security Administration has a great web site that even offers on-line applications for a number of services.  The main web site is: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/

The links below will give you information on SSA Changes for 2009, including Medicare.

http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/factsheets/colafacts2009.htm

http://questions.medicare.gov/cgi-bin/medicare.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2100

 https://questions.medicare.gov/cgi-bin/medicare.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2099&p_sid=SS6nBZkj&p_lva=2100

Contact information for the nearest SSA office is:
Social Security Division
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office
American Embassy
1131 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita 0930 Manila,  Philippines
Phone: 632-301-2000, extensions 6302, 6319, and 5085
Fax: 632-522-1514

7. Embassy Contact Information
American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy, Beijing
No. 55 An Jia Lou Road ( 安家楼路 )
Beijing 100600
Telephone: (86-10) 8531-4000
FAX: (86-10) 8531-3300
Email: amcitbeijing@state.gov

American Citizens should enter the Consular Section at the Embassy's east gate.   The east gate is located at the Tian Ze Road Intersection of An Jia Lou Road, close to Ladies’ Street (Nüren Jie) and Laitai Flower Market, opposite the Kempinski Hotel and Lufthansa Shopping Center.   The nearest subway location is the Liangmaqiao stop on line #10.

Address in Chinese:
美国驻华大使馆
美国公民服务处
北京市朝阳区安家楼路55号
邮政编码：100600

For the most current information regarding services, scheduling appointments and operating hours, please visit the American Citizens Services (ACS) page on the U.S. Embassy website http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html

End of newsletter.