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Posts Tagged ‘US Embassy Iraq’

6th March 2011

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

Date

Day

Holiday

Country

January 2 Sunday New Year’s Day US**
January 16 Sunday Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday US**
February 17 Thursday Prophet’s Birthday Iraq**
February 20 Sunday President’s Day US**
May 1 Sunday Labor Day Iraq
May 29 Sunday Memorial Day US**
July 4 Monday Independence Day US
July 14 Thursday Republic Day Iraq
August 30 – September 1 Wednesday Eid Al-Fitr Iraq*
September 4 Sunday Labor Day US**
October 9 Sunday Columbus Day US**
November 6 Sunday Eid Al Adha Iraq*
November 10 Thursday Veterans’ Day US
November 24 Thursday Thanksgiving US
November 26 Saturday Islamic New Year Iraq*
December 25 Sunday Christmas US**

* 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).

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17th November 2010

For those who regularly read this blog it is likely well known that the administration regularly posts information regarding the holiday schedules of US Missions abroad in an effort to forestall fruitless trips to an American Mission abroad due to lack of knowledge regarding official American recognition of bot US and foreign holidays. The following was quoted directly from the official website of the United States Embassy in Iraq:

U.S. Mission Baghdad will observe the following holidays in calendar year 2010.

Date

Day

Holiday

Country

December 31, 2009 Thursday New Year’s Day US
January 17 Sunday Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday US**
February 14 Sunday Presidents’ Day US**
February 28 Monday Prophet’s Birthday Iraq*
May 1 Saturday Labor Day Iraq
May 30 Sunday Memorial Day US**
July 4 Sunday Independence Day US
July 14 Wednesday Republic Day Iraq
September 5 Sunday Labor Day US**
Sep 10-12 Fri-Sun Eid Al-Fitr Iraq*
October 10 Sunday Columbus Day US**
November 17-19 Wed-Fri Eid Al Adha Iraq*
November 11 Monday Veterans’ Day US
November 25 Thursday Thanksgiving US
December 8 Wednesday Islamic New Year Iraq*
December 26 Sunday Christmas US

* 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.

The situation in Iraq is likely more turbulent at the time of this writing when compared to other jurisdictions in which a US Mission is present. That said, there are still those who may need services which can only be provided by an American Citizen Services (ACS) post abroad. Services that are often sought include, but are not limited to: notary services, Consular Report of Birth Abroad issuance, US passport renewal, and addition of visa pages. Those interested in requesting such services from the American Citizen Services section of the United States Embassy in Iraq are well advised to check the official website of the Post in order to ascertain whether or not an appointment can be made online. Setting an online appointment can greatly facilitate the processing of requests with ACS as Consular Officers can prepare in advance to provide necessary services.

Those interested in issues pertaining to visas are well advised to check with either the Non-Immigrant Visa Unit or the Immigrant Visa Unit in order to ascertain the proper procedure for requesting a visa to the USA. It should be noted that for purposes of processing the K1 visa is considered to be an immigrant visa.

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