Integrity Legal

In order to provide relevant information to the public-at-large regarding immigration issues in Southeast Asia, the administration of this blog often posts the holiday closing schedules of various American posts in Asia in an attempt to assist those seeking such information. The following is quoted directly from the official website of the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand:

For further information please click HERE.

It has been this blogger’s experience that the personnel at the American post in Bangkok can provide a great deal of assistance with services such as notarization, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, passport renewal, and documentation pertaining to the registration of a marriage in Thailand. It is generally advisable that those seeking such services make an appointment with the Consular Services section prior to arrival at the post. In many cases, this can be accomplished online.

Those wishing to obtain an American visa for a loved one in Thailand are generally required to petition the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and gain approval of said petition before the case file will be reviewed by a visa section at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad. Concurrently, the visa applicant is generally required to undergo an interview at the Post with appropriate Consular jurisdiction prior to possible approval of a visa application.

Those seeking a K-1 visa for a Thai fiancee will generally see the visa application processed through the non-immigrant visa unit while those seeking an immigrant visa for a Thai spouse (such as the CR-1 visa or the IR-1 visa) will generally see their visa application consular processed through the immigrant visa unit. In many cases, an approved USCIS petition will be processed through the National Visa Center prior to processing at the appropriate post overseas.

For information regarding legal services in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: American Visa, American Visa Thailand, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa, CR-1 Visa Thailand, K-1 Visa, K-1 Visa Thailand, Notary, us embassy thailand, US Visa, US Visa Thailand
Posted in CR1 Visa, Fiance Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa, K-3 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K2 Visa, K2 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, National Visa Center, Thailand Notary, US Embassy Thailand, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCIS | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand is poised to begin exclusively offering routine services at the American Citizen Services section of the Post by appointment only. In order to provide further insight into these developments it is necessary to quote directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand:

Beginning September 1, 2011, all non-emergency consular services will require an appointment. We hope that this will assist us in providing prompt and efficient consular services to American Citizens residing in Thailand.  Please plan accordingly.

For those who are unfamiliar with matters pertaining to United States Missions abroad it should be noted that an American Citizen Services section of a US Embassy, US Consulate, or American Institute provides many services for Americans resident abroad. Such services include, but are not limited to, US Passport issuance, Consular Report of Birth Abroad issuance, Notary Services, and issuance of additional pages to a previously issued US Passport. It has always been this blogger’s personal experience that the ACS unit of the US Embassy in Bangkok handles matters in an efficient and courteous manner. That stated, the unit always seems hectically busy and it would appear that the new policy is aimed at streamlining the processing of pertinent requests.

Those seeking information regarding visas and immigration to the United States should look for information regarding Immigrant Visa Units and/or Non-Immigrant Visa Units at US Posts abroad as those sections are generally tasked with adjudicating applications for visas such as the B-2 visa, the K-1 visa, the CR-1 visa, and the IR-1 visa.

Tags: ACS, ACS appointment, American Citizen Services, American Citizen Services appointment, American Embassy Bangkok, American Embassy Thailand, American Institute, Americans Resident Abroad, B-2 Visa, consular report of birth abroad, consular services, CR-1 Visa, Immigrant Visa Unit, IR-1 Visa, K-1 Visa, non-emergency consular services, Non-Immigrant Visa Unit, US Consulate, US Embassy, US Embassy in Bangkok, us embassy thailand, us passport
Posted in us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Thailand | No Comments »

Frequent readers of this web log may have taken note of the fact that the administration routinely posts the holiday closing schedules of the various US Missions in Asia as a courtesy to the public-at-large. To quote directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan:

DATE                                 DAY                           HOLIDAY

January 2*                 (US)  Sunday  New Year’s Day
January 16*               (US)  Sunday  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 15              (AF)  Tuesday  Liberation Day
February 16**           (AF)  Wednesday  Prophet’s Birthday
February 20*              (US)  Sunday  President’s Day
March 21                   (AF)  Monday  Nawrooz (Afghan New Year – 1390)
April 28                      (AF)  Thursday   Victory Day
May 29*                    (US)  Sunday  Memorial Day
July 3*                      (US)  Sunday  Independence Day
August 1**                (AF)  Monday  First Day or Ramadan
August 18***             (AF)  Thursday  Independence Day
Aug 31 – Sept 2**      (AF)  Wednesday – Friday Eid ul-Fitr
September 4*             (US)  Sunday  Labor Day
September 8***          (AF)  Thursday  Martyrdom of National Hero Day
October 9*                 (US)  Sunday  Columbus Day
November 6-8**          (AF)  Sunday – Tuesday Eid-e Qurban
November 10*             (US)  Thursday  Veteran’s Day
November 24               (US)  Thursday  Thanksgiving Day
December 6**             (AF)  Tuesday  10th of Muharram (Ashura)
December 25               (US)  Sunday  Christmas Day

Notes:

*    American holidays marked with an asterisk (*) are observed on a different day than in the US.

**  Afghan holidays marked with double asterisks (**) are based on the Islamic Calendar and depend on sightings of the moon.  As a holiday approaches, adjustments to this schedule may be made based on local practice and Afghan government announcements.

*** Afghan holidays marked with triple asterisks (***) are observed one day earlier.

Those wishing to visit the official homepage of the United States Embassy in Kabul are encouraged to click HERE.

It may sometimes prove necessary for an American Resident Abroad or an American traveling abroad to acquire documentation (US Passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Notarized affidavit, etc.) which can only be obtained from an American Citizen Services section of a US Embassy or US Consulate overseas. Americans seeking such documentation are well advised to contact an American Citizen Services Section with appropriate Consular jurisdiction.

Those seeking an American non-immigrant visa (such as a B-1 visa, B-2 visa, J-1 visa, or F-1 visa) are likely to see their visa application processed at a non-immigrant visa section of a US Embassy, US Consulate, or American Institute abroad. Meanwhile, those seeking an immigrant visa such as a CR-1 visa or IR-1 visa (for purposes of Consular Processing, the K-1 visa; although a non-immigrant US fiance visa, is treated in much the same way as immigrant visa categories for processing purposes) are likely to see their visa application processed by an Immigrant Visa Unit abroad. Immigrant visas such as those noted above are likely to only be granted pursuant to an initial adjudication of an immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Those seeking visas such as the EB-5 visa or the L-1 visa are well advised to take note of the fact that it is unlikely that a visa application will be adjudicated by a US Post abroad until after an initial immigration petition is approved by USCIS.

For related information please see: Legal.

Tags: American Consulate, American Embassy, American Institute, American Resident Abroad, B-1 Visa, B-2 Visa, B1 visa, B2 Visa, Consular Processing, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa, CR1 Visa, CRBA, EB-5 Visa, EB5 Visa, F-1 Visa, F1 Visa, Holiday Closing, Holiday Schedule, IR-1 Visa, IR1 Visa, J-1 visa, J1 visa, K-1 Visa, K1 Visa, L-1 visa, L1 Visa, Legal, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, United States Embassy in Afghanistan, United States Embassy in Kabul, US Consulate, US Embassy, US Embassy Afghanistan, US Embassy Kabul, US Fiance Visa, us passport, USCIS
Posted in US Embassy Kabul | No Comments »

It recently came to the attention of this blogger that the United States Supreme Court may be hearing a case pertaining to issues surrounding the issuance of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA). Such documents are generally issued by Consular Officers of the Department of State at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad.  To quote directly from a May 2nd posting by Lyle Denniston on ScotusBlog at scotusblog.com:

Stepping into a significant test of the President’s foreign policy powers, the Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide whether Congress had the authority to dictate how the Executive Branch makes out birth certificates for U.S. citizens born abroad — in this case, in Jerusalem, a city that the U.S. government does not recognize as an official part of Israel.  At issue is the validity of a nine-year-old law in which Congress aimed to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  That dispute came in one of two cases the Court agreed on Monday to hear, at its next Term.

The administration of this blog strongly encourages readers to click the hyperlinks above to read this posting on ScotusBlog in its entirety as it cogently provides information about what could prove to be a very pertinent issue in the days and weeks ahead.

Although the issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad may seem innocuous, especially to American Citizens who do not have a great deal of international experience; but it should be noted that this document is very important as issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad documents the fact that an American Citizen was born overseas. This document is thereby used to obtain a US passport as well as other documentation. To continue quoting from the aforementioned article:

After State Department officials refused to fill out a report on the foreign birth of a boy born in 2002 in a Jerusalem hospital to show that his birthplace was “Israel,” his parents sued, seeking to enforce the 2002 law that ordered the State Department to do just that, when asked to do so.   A federal judge and the D.C. Circuit Court refused to decide the case, saying the controversy was a “political question” that the courts had no authority to resolve.

The law noted above attempts to deal with a somewhat difficult issue as Jerusalem is not technically considered to be part of the Greater State of Israel. In order to provide more insight on this complex issue it may be best to quote directly from the preamble to the opposition’s brief in this case:

QUESTION PRESENTED

Whether the court of appeals erred in affirming the dismissal of petitioner’s suit seeking to compel the Secretary of State to record “Israel” as his place of birth in his United States passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad, instead of “Jerusalem,” when the panel unanimously agreed that the decision how to record the place of birth for a citizen born in Jerusalem in official United States government documents is committed exclusively to the Executive Branch by the Constitution.

The administration urges readers to click on the hyperlink noted above to read the opposition’s brief in detail.

It would appear to this blogger as though the issues in this case are likely to result in any finding having tremendous ramifications. This is due to the fact that there really are two important notions in competition. Namely, the right of the individual or family to choose the manner in which a report of birth abroad is promulgated and the right of the Executive Branch to conduct foreign policy.

It remains to be seen how the Court will rule on these issues, but one this is certain: cases involving a “political question” often make for the most interesting decisions.

For related information please see: Certificate of Citizenship or Legal.

Tags: American State Department, American Supreme Court, Certificate of Citizenship, Child Born Abroad, Consular Officer, consular report of birth abroad, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, CRBA, Department of State, Israel, Jerusalem, M.B.Z. v. Clinton, political question, State Department, United States Supreme Court, US Consulate, US Embassy, us passport
Posted in US Consulate ChengDu, US Consulate Chennai, US Consulate Chiang Mai, US Consulate Guangzhou, US Consulate HCMC, US Consulate Hong Kong, US Consulate Hyderabad, US Consulate Kolkata, US Consulate Macau, US Consulate Mumbai, US Consulate Shanghai, US Consulate Shenyang, US Consulate Singapore, US Consulate Vladivostok, US Consulate Wuhan, US Embassy Australia, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Bangladesh, US Embassy Beijing, US Embassy Brunei Darussalam, US Embassy Burma, US Embassy Cambodia, US Embassy China, US Embassy Dhaka, US Embassy Fiji, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy India, US Embassy Indonesia, US Embassy Iraq, US Embassy Islamabad, US Embassy Jakarta, US Embassy Japan, US Embassy Kathmandu, US Embassy Kiribati, US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, US Embassy Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan), US Embassy Laos, US Embassy Malaysia, US Embassy Maldives, US Embassy Manila, US Embassy Mauritius, US Embassy Mongolia, US Embassy Myanmar, US Embassy Nauru, US Embassy Nepal, US Embassy New Dehli, US Embassy New Zealand, US Embassy Pakistan, US Embassy Papua New Guinea, US Embassy Philippines, US Embassy Phnom Phen, US Embassy Port Moresby, US Embassy Rangoon, US Embassy Russia, US Embassy Singapore, US Embassy South Korea, US Embassy Sri Lanka, US Embassy Suva, US Embassy Thailand, US Embassy Tokyo, US Embassy Tonga, US Embassy Turkmenistan, US Embassy Tuvalu, US Embassy Uzbekistan, US Embassy Vietnam, US Embassy Yangon, US State Department | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that new In Vitro Fertilization methods could see future children born with 3 parents. Although this may sound like something from science fiction, clearly this is a real issue which could have real world implications. In order to provide a degree of insight to the reader on this topic it may be best to quote directly from Wikipedia:

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the body, in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. The first successful birth of a “test tube baby”, Louise Brown, occurred in 1978. Robert G. Edwards, the doctor who developed the treatment, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010. Before that, there was a transient biochemical pregnancy reported by Australian Foxton School researchers in 1953 and an ectopic pregnancy reported by Steptoe and Edwards in 1976.

The administration of this blog strongly encourages readers to click on the hyperlinks above in order to gain perspective and insight into the way that IVF actually works.  According to recent reports, it would appear that new IVF methodologies may allow for a child to be born with three biological parents.  To quote directly from the official website of the BBC at BBC.co.uk:

Embryos containing DNA from a man and two women have been created by scientists at Newcastle University.

They say their research, published in the journal Nature, has the potential to help mothers with rare genetic disorders have healthy children…The work raised several ethical problems… including safety risks, children with DNA from two mothers, and making genetic changes to unborn children.

IVF and medical procedures of the same ilk may have been considered of little concern in the legal and immigration contexts during years past, but new developments, such as those noted above, could have tremendous implications for future seekers of a US Passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or similar identity documentation acquired both domestically or at US Embassies and US Consulates abroad. For further insight this blogger felt it prudent to quote directly from a blog post by PrideAngelAdmin on PrideAngel.com:

The first baby with three biological parents could be conceived next year after the Government announced a major review of Britain’s fertility laws.

The move would allow doctors to use a revolutionary IVF technique that prevents incurable, deadly genetic illnesses being passed down from mothers to their children.

Babies created with the therapy – called three-parent IVF – would inherit 98 per cent of their DNA from their ‘real’ parents. The rest would come from a female donor.

The scientists say the donor genes would not alter the children’s appearance or personality, but would stop them dying from painful diseases of the heart, liver and brain.

As can be seen from the above cited quotations, most of the dialogue that is occurring with respect to the issue of 3 parent IVF is emanating more from Great Britain than from the United States, but it should be noted that these issues could have an impact upon the way in which possible future American immigration benefits are bequeathed. Meanwhile, new IVF methodologies may require changes in the rules and protocols regarding issuance of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) since there never really seem to have been provisions in place for a child born with three biological parents. It remains to be seen how these new technologies and procedures will impact American jurisprudence regarding United States Immigration, Family Law, and the rules and regulations regarding US Citizenship.

In this blogger’s personal opinion, the implications of possible 3 parent IVF could be as important in an American Citizenship context as the promulgation and enactment of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Who can say if it might not be possible in the future to see a child receive a Certificate of Citizenship based upon a parent-child biological relationship stemming from shared mitochondrial DNA? As humanity’s technological prowess becomes more defined legal issues may be increasingly raised in contexts that few in the past would have dreamed could even exist at all.

For the LGBT community, the citations noted above should be borne in mind especially by those who may wish to start a family in the future as it may one day be possible to see children born as a result of increasingly creative medical breakthroughs.

Tags: 3 Parent In Vitro Fertilization, 3 Parent IVF, American Citizenship, assisted reproductive technology, CCA, Certificate of Citizenship, Child Citizenship Act, Child Citizenship Act of 2000, consular report of birth abroad, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, CRBA, in vitro, In Vitro Fertilization, infertility, IVF, mitochondrial DNA, Test Tube Baby, Three Parent In Vitro Fertilization, Three Parent IVF, US Citizenship, us passport
Posted in US Citizenship | No Comments »

The following was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan:

Official American and Turkmen holidays for which employees of the Embassy are excused from duty are limited to the following for the calendar year 2011:

* The dates of Kurban Bayramy and Oraza Bairamy are determined by the lunar calendar. Therefore, the exact dates for these holidays cannot be announced with any certainty at this time. When notified, an announcement will be sent out to identify the specific dates.
** Turkmen holidays falling on weekends (Sunday) are observed an the subsequent workday.

Those wishing to visit the official homepage of the United States Embassy in Turkmenistan please click HERE.

Those seeking services which can only be provided by an American Citizen Services Section of a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad (such as Consular Report of Birth Abroad issuance, US Passport issuance, or additional visa pages for a previously issued US Passport) are well advised to attempt to set an appointment with the post in advance as doing so can greatly streamline the processing of requests made to the Post.

Those seeking visas such as the US tourist visa (B-2 visa), the US student visa (F-1 visa), the exchange visitor visa (J-1 visa), or the US business visa (B-1 visa) are likely to see their visa application processed at a Non-Immigrant Visa Unit Abroad. It should be noted that such applications are adjudicated pursuant to the provisions of section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act.

Those seeking immigrant visas such as the CR-1 visa or the IR-1 visa are likely to see such visa applications processed at an Immigrant Visa Unit of a US Post pursuant to an approved Immigration petition from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). It should be noted that for purposes of visa application processing the K-1 visa (a US fiance visa technically designed for non-immigrants) is treated in much the same way as the immigrant visas cited above.

Those seeking visas such as the L-1 visa or the EB-5 visa are prudent to note that such visa applications are only processed pursuant to an approved visa petition at the USCIS.

Tags: 214(b), American Citizen Services, American Embassy Ashgabat, American Embassy Turkmenistan, B-2 Visa Turkmenistan, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa Turkmenistan, EB-5 Visa Turkmenistan, IR-1 Visa Turkmenistan, K-1 Visa Turkmenistan, L-1 Visa Turkmenistan, US Embassy Ashgabat, US Embassy Turkmenistan, US Fiance Visa, US Tourist Visa Turkmenistan, US Visa Turkmenistan
Posted in US Embassy Turkmenistan | No Comments »

The following was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic:

To observe American and Kyrgyz holidays, in 2011 the Embassy will be closed for official business on the following days:

The dates of the National sliding Islamic holidays Orozo Ait and Kurman Ait have to be determined by lunar calendar and announced by the Kyrgyz Government.

Kyrgyz holidays that fall on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.

Those wishing to visit the official website of the Kyrgyz Republic are well advised to click HERE.

Those seeking services which can only be provided at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad (such as issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, US Passport, or additional visa pages for a previously issued US Passport) are encouraged to attempt to make an appointment for receipt of such services in advance. It may be possible to set an appointment online to visit the nearest American Citizen Services section of a US Post with consular jurisdiction.

Those seeking visas such as the B-2 visa for tourists, the B-1 visa for temporary business travelers, the J-1 visa for exchange visitors, or the F-1 visa for students are likely to see such applications processed at a Non-Immigrant Visa Unit abroad. It should be noted that these visa applications are adjudicated pursuant to section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act.

Those seeking visas such as the CR-1 visa or IR-1 visa for a foreign loved one are likely to see their visa application adjudicated by an Immigrant Visa Unit abroad after initial approval of an immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). It should be noted that for application processing purposes the K-1 visa (a non-immigrant US fiance visa) is treated in much the same way as the immigrant visas noted above.

Those seeking an EB-5 visa or an L-1 visa are likely to only see their visa application processed pursuant to an approved immigration petition from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Tags: American Embassy Kyrgyz Republic, American Embassy Kyrgyzstan, American Visa Kyrgyzstan, B-2 Visa Kyrgyzstan, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa Kyrgyzstan, EB-5 Visa Kyrgyzstan, F-1 Visa Kyrgyzstan, IR-1 Visa Kyrgyzstan, K-1 Visa, K-1 Visa Kyrgyz Republic, K-1 Visa Kyrgyzstan, L-1 Visa Kyrgyzstan, US Embassy Kyrgyz Republic, US Embassy Kyrgyzstan, US Fiance Visa, US Visa Kyrgyzstan
Posted in US Embassy Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan) | No Comments »

Frequent readers may have noticed that the administration of this blog posts the holiday closing schedules of various US Posts in Asia as a courtesy to American travelers abroad. To quote directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan:

The U.S. Mission will officially observe only the holidays listed below.

Those interested in viewing the official homepage of the United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan please click HERE.

Those seeking services which can only be provided by an American Citizen Services Section of a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad (such as issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, US Passport, and additional visa pages for a previously issued US Passport) are well advised to attempt to set an appointment for services in advance as doing so can greatly streamline the processing of bona fide requests.

Those seeking travel documents such as the US tourist visa (B-2 visa), US business visa (B-1 visa), US student visa (F-1 visa), and the US exchange visitor visa (J-1 visa) are likely to see their visa application processed at a Non-Immigrant (NIV) Unit abroad. It should be noted that the non-immigrant visa applications noted above are generally analyzed by interviewing Consular Officers pursuant to section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act.

Those seeking immigrant visas such as the IR-1 visa or the CR-1 visa for foreign spouses and loved ones of US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents are likely to see their visa application processed at an Immigrant Visa (IV) Unit abroad. It should be noted that the US fiance visa, categorized as the K-1 visa, is processed in much the same manner as the immigrant visas notwithstanding the fact that the K-1 is a non-immigrant visa category.

Those seeking an EB-5 visa as a prospective immigrant investor or an L-1 visa as a prospective intra-company transferee are likely to only see their visa application processed pursuant to an approved immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Tags: American Embassy Islamabad, American Embassy Pakistan, B-1 Visa Pakistan, B-2 Visa Pakistan, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa Pakistan, EB-5 Visa Pakistan, F-1 Visa Pakistan, IR-1 Visa Pakistan, J-1 Visa Pakistan, K-1 Visa Pakistan, L-1 Visa Pakistan, US Embassy Islamabad, US Embassy Pakistan, US Embassy Pakistan holidays, US Fiance Visa Pakistan, us passport, US Visa Pakistan
Posted in US Embassy Islamabad, US Embassy Pakistan | No Comments »

The following holiday closing schedule was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq:

* This Iraqi holiday is determined by the lunar cycle. Exact dates must be confirmed by local authorities and are subject to change.

** In keeping with the spirit of the Monday Holiday Bill, the intention of which is to provide three-day holiday weekends, U.S. holidays covered by the Monday Holiday Bill will be observed on Sundays.

The Embassy will consider moving the observation date of local holidays (religious and secular) falling on weekends in the event that the Iraqi Government issues guidance mandating that the private and public sectors change the observance date.

Those interested in visiting the official website of the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq please click HERE.

Those seeking services which can only be provided by staff at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad (such as issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, US Passport, or issuance of new pages for a previously issued US Passport) may find it efficient to attempt to set an appointment with the American Citizen Services Section of a US Post prior to arrival at said post. It may be possible under some circumstances to set an appointment online prior to traveling to the post. Setting an appointment online can greatly streamline the processing of requests at US Posts abroad.

Those seeking a US tourist visa (B-2 visa), US business visa (B-1 visa), US Exchange visitor visa (J-1 visa),  or a US student visa (F-1 visa) are likely to see their visa application processed by a Non-immigrant visa unit at a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad. It should be noted that such visa applications are scrutinized pursuant to section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act.

Those Americans seeking an immigrant visa for a foreign spouse (such as the CR-1 visa and the IR-1 visa) are likely to see their loved one’s visa application processed at an Immigrant Visa Unit abroad. It should be noted that for processing purposes the K-1 visa (a non-immigrant US fiance visa) is treated in much the same manner as the Immigrant visa categories.

Those seeking visas such as the L-1 visa for intra-company transferees or the EB-5 visa for immigrant investors are likely to only see a visa application processed pursuant to an approved immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Tags: American Citizen Services Iraq, American Embassy Baghdad, American Embassy Iraq, American Passport Iraq, B-2 Visa Iraq, Consular Processing, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa Iraq, EB-5 Visa Iraq, IR-1 Visa Iraq, K-1 Visa Iraq, L-1 Visa Iraq, US Embassy Baghdad, US Embassy Iraq, US Embassy Iraq Holidays, US Fiance Visa Iraq, US Passport Iraq, US Visa Iraq, USCIS
Posted in US Embassy Iraq | No Comments »

The following holiday closing schedule was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Port Louis, Mauritius:

**The exact date of this festival will depend on the visibility of the moon.
***December 25, 2011 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day), falls on a Sunday. For most Federal employees, Monday, December 26, will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes.

Those wishing to visit the official homepage of the United States Embassy in Mauritius please click: HERE.

Those seeking services which can only be provided by a US Embassy or US Consulate abroad (such as issuance of a new US Passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or additional visa pages for a previously issued US Passport) are well advised to contact an American Citizen Services (ACS) Section of the nearest US Consulate with appropriate jurisdiction. In some cases, it may be possible to set an appointment with the post online. Setting an appointment with the post in advance may prove beneficial as foreknowledge of customer requests can greatly streamline the processing of such requests.

Those seeking non-immigrant visas such as the B-2 visa for tourists, the F-1 visa for students, the J-1 visa for exchange visitors, or the B-1 visa for business travelers are likely to see their visa application processed at a Non-immigrant visa (NIV) Unit abroad. Those seeking such travel documents should bear in mind that such applications are scrutinized pursuant to section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act.

Those seeking immigrant visas for foreign family members such as the CR-1 visa or the IR-1 visa are likely to see their visa application processed pursuant to an approved immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).  For application processing purposes, it should be noted that the K-1 visa, a non-immigrant US fiance visa, is treated in a similar manner to the aforementioned immigrant visas noted above.

Those seeking visas such as the L-1 visa for intra-company transferees or the EB-5 visa for immigrant investors are likely to only see a visa application processed after receiving approval on an immigration petition at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).

Tags: American Citizen Services, American Embassy Mauritius, American Embassy Port Louis, B-1 Visa Mauritius, B-2 Visa Mauritius, consular report of birth abroad, CR-1 Visa Mauritius, EB-5 Visa Mauritius, F-1 Visa Mauritius, Holiday Closing Schedule, Holidays, IR-1 Visa Mauritius, J-1 Visa Mauritius, K-1 Visa Mauritius, L-1 Visa Mauritius, US Embassy Mauritius, US Embassy Port Louis
Posted in US Embassy Mauritius | No Comments »