Integrity Legal

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 »

เมื่อเร็วๆนี้สิ่งที่เป็นที่น่าสนใจของบล็อกคือ ความพยายามของสมาคมทนายความคนเข้าเมืองอเมริกันในการที่จะให้กงสุลที่ความตื่นตัวที่จะออกใบรับรองการเกิดในต่างประเทศและเพิ่มความพยายามที่จะสร้างขั้นตอนเพื่อลดการปลอมแปลงเอกสารที่สำคัญนี้ อ้างโดยตรงจากเว็บไซต์กระทรวงแห่งสหรัฐอเมริกา:

กระทรวงแห่งรัฐมีความยินดีเป็นอย่างยิ่งที่จะแนะนำการออกแบบใหม่ของรายงานกงสุลในเรื่องการเกิดในต่างแดน(CRBA) CRBAนี้เป็นบันทึกที่รับรองอย่างเป็นทางการว่า เด็กที่เกิดในต่างแดนจากพ่อแม่ที่เป็นพลเมืองอเมริกานั้นได้สัญชาติอเริกันโดยการเกิด เอกสารที่มีการออกแบบใหม่นี้มีความปลอดภัยซึ่งสามารถที่จะขัดขวางการเปลี่ยนแปลงหรือปลอมแปลงได้

สถานทูตอเมริกาและสถานกงสุลทั่วโลกได้มีการพิมพ์ CRBAs ตั้งแต่การริเริ่มในปี1919 มีผลบังคับตั้งแต่วันที่ 3 มกราคม 2554 ซึ่งจะมีการพิมมพ์ที่หน่วยบริการพาสปอร์ตในพิร์ตเมาส์ นิวแฮมเชียร์ และนิวออร์ลีน หลุยเซียนา การเป็นศูนย์กลางของการผลิตและการกำจัดการแจกจ่ายแบบฟอร์มที่ว่างเปล่าทั่วโลกเป็นหลักประกันว่า ต้องมีการปรับปรุงคุณภาพของรูปแบบและลดการปลอมแปลง

การยื่นขอพาสปอร์ตสหรัฐอเมริกาและการออกแบบCRBA จะใช้ในแง่มุมของผู้ปกครองดูแลซึ่งตรงข้ามกับแม่และพ่อ การเปลี่ยนแปลงที่สำคัญต้องการที่จะอธิบายถึงเพศของเด็กที่ได้มาจากพ่อและแม่และความแตกต่างของครอบครัวแต่ละแบบ

มันยังคงเป็นการเปลี่ยนแปลงที่มีผลกระทบต่อพฤติการณ์การฉ้อฉลที่เกี่ยวข้องกับรายงานของกงสุลเกี่ยวกับการเกิดในต่างประเทศ อาจกล่าวได้ว่า รายงานของกงสุลเกี่ยวกับการเกิดในต่างประเทศนั้นเป็นการเปลี่ยนแปลงที่สำคัญในเรื่องของเอกสารในฐานะที่เป็นหลักฐานแสดงสัญชาติของคนอเมริกันที่เกิดนอกสหรัฐอเมริกา โดยส่วนมากพ่อแม่มักได้รับรายงานของกงสุลเกี่ยวกับการเกิดทันทีก่อนที่จะขอพาสปอร์ตสหรัฐอเมริกาในฐานะของเด็กที่เกิดในต่างประเทศ

ผู้เขียนบล็อกเห็นว่า สิ่งที่น่าสนใจคือ กระทรวงแห่งรัฐมีขั้นตอนที่สร้างเอกสารที่มีความเป็นกลางทางเพศมากขึ้น เช่นเดียวกับการเคลื่อนไหวในปี 2010 กระทรวงแห่งรัฐประกาศมาตรการที่จะนำไปใช้ในทางปฏิบัติเพื่อที่จะอนุญาตให้มีการแปลงเพศและเปลี่ยนเพศในพาสปอร์ตสหรัฐอเมริกา นับเป็นสิ่งที่ปรากฏได้ว่า ความพยายามต่อความเป็นกลางทางเพศในการที่จะปรับเลี่ยนข้อมูลรายงายของกงสุลเกี่ยวกับเด็กที่เกิดในต่างประเทศทำให้ตระหนักว่า บทบาททางเพศภายในครอบครัวและโดยโครงสร้างของครอบครัวอเมริกัน ครอบครัวอเมริกันนนั้นได้มีการฉีกกฎเดิมมากขึ้นเมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับในอดีต

ายใต้สถานการณ์ที่แน่นอน เด็กที่เกิดนอกสหรัฐอเมริกานั้นไม่สามารถที่จะได้รับสิทธิการเป็นพลเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกาโดยอัตโนมัติ พ่อแม่ชาวอเมริกันนั้นสามารถที่จะทำให้เด็กกลายเป็นพลเมืองอเมริกันได้โดยการยื่นคำขอรับสิทธิประโยชน์คนเข้าเมืองตามพระราชบัญญัติสัญชาติเด็ก (CCA)ปี 2000 เด็กที่เกิดจากคนสัญชาติอเมริกันนั้นกลายเป็นพลเมืองสหรัฐอเมริกาโดยกฎหมายซึ่งตา CCA จะได้รับใบรับรองสัญชาติซึ่งเหมือนกับใบรับรองการแปลงสัญชาติแม้ว่าในทางทฤษฎีผู้ถือจะไม่ได้สัญชาติอเมริกันโดยตามธรรมชาติ

For related information please see: Department of State.

Tags: CCA, Child Citizenship Act, consular report of birth abroad, CRBA, Department of State, us embassy bangkok, us embassy thailand, การได้สัญชาติอเมริกัน, คนเข้าเมืองอเมริกา, พาสปอร์ตอเมริกา, รายงานการเกิดในต่างเเดน, วีซ่าอเมริกา, สัญชาติอเมริกัน
Posted in สถานทูตสหรัฐอเมริกาประจำประเทศไทย, ้วีซ่าอเมริกาจากประเทศไทย | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention, thanks to the efforts of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), that the Consular Report of Birth Abroad Certificate is being altered and updated in an effort to take further steps to ensure less forgery of such vitally important documents. To quote directly from the American State Department’s official website:

The Department of State is pleased to announce the introduction of a redesigned Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The CRBA is an official record confirming that a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. The redesigned document has state-of-the-art security features that make it extremely resistant to alterations or forgery.

CRBAs have been printed at U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world since their introduction in 1919. Effective January 3, 2011, CRBAs will be printed at our passport facilities in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and New Orleans, Louisiana. Centralizing production and eliminating the distribution of controlled blank form stock throughout the world ensures improved uniform quality and lessens the threat of fraud.

Applications for U.S. passports and the redesigned CRBA will also use the title of “parent” as opposed to “mother” and “father.” These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families.

It remains to be seen whether these changes will have a significant impact upon incidences of fraud in connection with Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA). That said, the Consular Report of Birth Abroad is an extremely important document as it is evidence of nationality for Americans born outside of the United States of America. Frequently, parents obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad immediately prior to obtaining a US Passport on behalf of a child born overseas.

This blogger found it interesting that the Department of State has taken steps to make such documents more gender neutral. In a similar move, in 2010, the State Department announced that measures had been implemented to allow transgender individuals to change their sex on their US Passport. It would appear that the efforts toward gender neutrality implemented in the updating of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad take into account the fact that the traditional gender roles within families and the family structure itself are in something of a state of flux as American families are becoming increasingly unorthodox compared to times past.

Under certain circumstances, children born to some Americans outside of the USA are not automatically vested with United States Citizenship. Should that be the case, then the American parent may be able to see that their children become US Citizens by filing a petition for immigration benefits pursuant to the Child Citizenship Act (CCA) of 2000. Those children of American Citizens who become US Citizens by operation of law pursuant to the CCA may obtain a Certificate of Citizenship which is very similar to a naturalization certificate although the bearer is not technically a naturalized US Citizen.

For related information please see: Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

Tags: Certificate of Citizenship, consular report of birth abroad, Consular Report of Birth Abroad Certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad Changes, CRBA, CRBA Certificate, CRBA Certificate Changes, Naturalization Certificate
Posted in American Institute Taiwan, US Citizenship, US Consulate ChengDu, US Consulate Chennai, 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 Wuhan, US Embassy Australia, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Bangladesh, US Embassy Beijing, 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 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 Singapore, US Embassy South Korea, US Embassy Sri Lanka, US Embassy Suva, US Embassy Tokyo, US Embassy Tonga, US Embassy Tuvalu, US Embassy Vietnam, US Embassy Yangon, US State Department | No Comments »

Frequently the administration of this blog posts the holiday closing schedules of various American Embassies and Consulates located abroad in an effort to forestall fruitless trips by American travelers to a US Embassy or US Consulate which is closed in observance of an American or local holiday. The following is quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Mauritius:

* July 4, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Independence Day) falls on a Sunday, therefore Monday, July 5 will be the public holiday.

**The exact date of this festival will depend on the visibility of the moon.

*** December 25, 2010 (the legal public holiday for Christmas Day) falls on a Saturday, therefore Friday, December 24 will be the public holiday for the U.S.

There are a rather large number of services which Americans and foreign nationals seek from American Missions abroad. Those seeking Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, US passport renewal, addition of visa pages, or notarial services are well advised to contact an American Citizen Services Section of an American Embassy or Consulate. Furthermore, those seeking the aforementioned services are encouraged to check the US Embassy or US Consulate website in order to ascertain if appointments can be booked online. Booking an appointment with American Citizen Services is an effective way of minimizing difficulties at a Post and streamlining the processing of requests as American Consular Personnel are put on notice of the customer’s request and can thereby make preparations to provide assistance.

Those seeking an American visa abroad are well advised to contact an American Embassy directly in order to inquire as to the procedures for making a visa interview appointment. Generally, the protocols for making an immigrant visa appointment differ from the procedures which one must adhere to when booking a non-immigrant visa appointment. Generally, for purposes of making a visa appointment, the K1 visa is considered to be an immigrant visa.

For related information please see: US Visa Thailand.

Tags: American Citizen Services, American Embassy Mauritius, American Passport, American Visa Mauritius, American Visa Thailand, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, CRBA, Fiance Visa, K1 Visa, US Embassy Mauritius, us passport, US Visa Mauritius, US Visa Thailand
Posted in US Embassy Mauritius | No Comments »

Holiday closing schedules for US Embassies and US Consulates in Asia are routinely posted on this blog in an effort to forestall fruitless trips to US Missions abroad made by American travelers and expats in host countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The following holiday closing schedule was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Papua New Guinea:

Listed below are Papua New Guinea and U.S. National holidays on which the Embassy is closed.

Papua New Guinea is 10 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 15 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Americans as well as Lawful Permanent Residents traveling or living overseas often find that they need services that can only be provided by staff at an American Citizen Services section of a US Embassy abroad. The services which American Citizen Services provides include, but are not limited to: US passport issuance, addition of visa pages, notary services, and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad.

Those thinking of traveling to a US Mission abroad are prudent to check the Embassy’s official website in order to ascertain the operating hours of the Post as well as the Post’s holiday closing schedule. Furthermore, those with business at American Citizen Services may be able to book an appointment online thereby streamlining their service after arrival at the Mission’s facilities. In many cases, an online appointment booking can place the Consular Officers on notice of the services to be sought thereby allowing the Consular Officers the opportunity to prepare to serve the customer.

Those seeking a visa interview appointment in connection with a US visa application are well advised to check with the Visa Unit of the Post where the interview will take place as interview appointments are scheduled based upon a Post’s caseload. Often, non-immigrant visa applicants (those seeking visas such as the US Tourist Visa and the US Student Visa) are interviewed in a different manner compared to immigrant visa applicants, for purposes of interviewing and processing the K1 visa is often treated in the same manner as a true immigrant visa.

For information about Consular denial of a visa application please see: US Visa Denial. For information about possible remedies after a visa denial please see: I-601 waiver.

Tags: Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, CRBA, K1 Visa, K1 visa application, US Embassy Papua New Guinea, US Embassy Port Moresby, us passport, US Visa, US Visa Application, US Visa Papua New Guinea
Posted in US Embassy Papua New Guinea, US Embassy Port Moresby | No Comments »

Laos is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia. In recent years it has become a popular destination among back-pack tourists as well as those wishing to see the majestic splendor of Laos’ natural beauty. As is often the case in countries around the globe, a US Embassy provides services to those seeking a US visa or a other services which can be provided either through the Consulate proper or the American Citizen Services Section. Those wishing to travel to an Embassy are generally advised to check the hours of operation and the local holiday closing schedule in an effort to forestall an unnecessary trip to the Embassy due to Post closure. The following is a direct quote from the official website of the US Embassy in Laos:

Holidays 2010

Date	Day	Holiday	Lao/U.S.
January 1	Friday	New Year’s Day	U.S./Lao
January 18	Monday	Martin Luther King’s Birthday	U.S.
February 15	Monday	Presidents’ Day	U.S.
March 8	Monday	International Women’s Day	Lao
April 14-16	Wed.-Friday	Lao New Year	Lao
April 30	Friday	Lao Labor Day	Lao
May 31	Monday	Memorial Day	U.S.
July 5	Monday	Independence Day	U.S.
September 6	Monday	Labor Day	U.S.
October 11	Friday	Boat Racing Festival	Lao
October 22	Monday	Columbus Day	U.S.
November 11	Thursday	Veterans Day	U.S.
November 19	Friday	That Luang Festival	Lao.
November 25	Thursday	Thanksgiving Day	U.S.
December 2	Thursady	Lao National Day	Lao
December 24	Friday	Christmas Day	U.S.

Substitution days. Please note: According to the prevailing practice in Laos, official holidays which fall on Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday and Sunday on the following Monday.

As can be gathered

Note: Administrative Days: In addition to the dates above, the consular section will be closed on the following Fridays for administrative days — March 12, June 11, September 10, November 12, and December 10.

Staff at a US Embassy or a US Consulate can usually provide assistance, or insight, regarding documentation such as the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), Notarized affidavits, Passports, visa pages, etc. In situations where an American Citizen must travel to the American Citizen Services Section of a United States Embassy or Consulate it may be wise to check the US Embassy’s website in order to ascertain whether or not one can set an appointment online. This makes the situation far less cumbersome for both the American and the Consular Officer as the Post can be prepared ahead of time to deal with the petitioner’s request.

With regard to visas, those petitions which are filed in the USA (such as a K1 visa petition or a K3 Visa petition) must first receive approval from USCIS before the petition will be forwarded to the Department of State and the US Embassy.

For further information, please see: US Visa Laos.

Tags: American Citizen Services, consular report of birth abroad, CRBA, Fiance Visa Laos, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Laos, K3 Visa, K3 Visa Laos, K3 Visa Vientiane, US Embassy Lao, US Embassy Laos, US Embassy Vientiane, US Visa, US Visa Laos
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A frequently discussed topic on this blog is that of LGBT immigration rights. Recently the United States Department of State made an announcement about new guidelines that will be implemented with regard to those seeking corrected passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad to reflect gender change. The following is a direct quote from the announcement:

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to use the occasion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month to announce its new policy guidelines regarding gender change in passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. Beginning June 10, when a passport applicant presents a certification from an attending medical physician that the applicant has undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition, the passport will reflect the new gender. The guidelines include detailed information about what information the certification must include. It is also possible to obtain a limited-validity passport if the physician’s statement shows the applicant is in the process of gender transition. No additional medical records are required. Sexual reassignment surgery is no longer a prerequisite for passport issuance. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad can also be amended with the new gender. As with all passport applicants, passport issuing officers at embassies and consulates abroad and domestic passport agencies and centers will only ask appropriate questions to obtain information necessary to determine citizenship and identity.

The new policy and procedures are based on standards and recommendations of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), recognized by the American Medical Association as the authority in this field.

Although this announcement marks a watershed moment for transgender rights, there are many who feel that a more pressing issue is that of US visa benefits for those couples in a bona fide LGBT relationship. At present, statutes such as the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) preclude Immigration benefits for bi-national same sex couples. Meanwhile, different sex couples enjoy immigration benefits notwithstanding the fact that same sex couples may have been married under exactly the same conditions as their different sex counterparts. Many feel that this disparity is unconstitutional and illegal. However, this assertion has yet to be fully analyzed by US Courts.

There are some American legislators who are attempting to deal with this perceived inequality through passage of legislation such as the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). Some hope that so-called Comprehensive Immigration Reform will include some provision for same sex bi-national couples hoping to obtain same sex visa benefits.

Tags: consular report of birth abroad, CRBA, lgbt immigration, Same Sex Marriage, same sex visa, Transgender Passport, us passport, US Visa
Posted in lgbt immigration, same sex visa | No Comments »

Few people realize that Puerto Rico is, for immigration purposes, part of the United States of America. This legal posture is enshrined in the United States Immigration and Nationality Act. In a recent posting on the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Website it was announced that the Puerto Rican authorities will be making sweeping changes to the rules effecting the issuance of birth certificates:

The government of Puerto Rico has enacted a new law (Law 191 of 2009) aimed at strengthening the issuance and usage of birth certificates to combat fraud and protect the identity and credit of all people born in Puerto Rico.

The new law was based on collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address the fraudulent use of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates to unlawfully obtain U.S. passports, Social Security benefits, and other federal services.

Under the new law, all Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, will be invalidated so that new, more secure certificates can be issued. Until that date, all birth certificates will remain valid.

It is important to understand that there is no need to rush out and get a new birth certificate on July 1.  It is suggested that only people who have a specific need for their birth certificate for official purposes need request a new birth certificate right away.

As many may be aware, birth certificates are an integral component of many visa petition packages. This is particularly true for K1 visa petitions, K3 Visa petitions, IR1 and CR1 visa petitions. How these proposed chages will impact immigration to the United States from abroad, and from Puerto Rico, remains to be seen, but it is clear that government officials are taking the issue of fraud prevention seriously.

Birth certificates are such an important piece of documentation that some believe that it is clearly self evident that maintaining the integrity of such documents is vitally important in maintaining security in the United States of America. In the 50 United States, there have been innumerable programs that are intended to make it more difficult for individuals to obtain fraudulent documentation. It would appear that this overall policy is being extended to US territorial possessions in order to provide increased document security in the outlying jurisdictions of the United States of America.

For more information about births overseas and obtaining birth registration documentation from abroad please see: Consular Report of Birth Abroad. For information about registering Thai births overseas please see: Thai Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

Tags: American Visa Thailand, Birth Certificate, consular report of birth abroad, Consular Report of Birth Abroad Thailand, CR1 Visa, CRBA, Fiance Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa, IR1 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, K3 Visa Thailand, Puerto Rico Birth Certificate, US Birth Certificate, US Visa Thailand
Posted in CR1 Visa, Department of Homeland Security, Fiance Visa Thailand, IR1 Visa, K-3 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K2 Visa, K2 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, Upcoming Legislation, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCBP, USCIS, USICE | No Comments »