American Citizens Services Newsletter
ACS Newsletter (July 2006)
U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong
Welcome to the July newsletter! Here are this month's topics:
Macau Day - August 2, 2006
On Wednesday, August 2, 2006, our staff will travel to Macau to provide limited services for American Citizens. Services to be offered during this visit include notarials (US$30/HKD240 for each signature of consular officer), passport processing (US$82/HKD656, US$67/HKD536, or US$97/HKD776 depending on age and type), and birth registration (US$65/HKD520 for each child). These services will be available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Academy of Music, located at Rua de Santa Clara, No. 19, 2/F., adjacent to City Hall and near Catholic Social Services, Rua de Santa Clara 13, Macau. Clients who are physically challenged and/or require special arrangements to access this location may call 2841-2211, 2841-2323 or 2841-2225 in advance to facilitate access.
To enable us to best assist you in Macau-
- Please check our website (http://www.hongkongacs.com) for information on what specific identification, forms and supporting documents are required for each service.
- Please present your passport for all services.
- Please bring the original and one photocopy of each piece of identification and/or supporting document (such as passports, birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, Macau ID cards, etc.).
- Please have all relevant form(s) completed before requesting any passport services. Download the forms from our web site.
- Blank visa pages may be added to undamaged U.S. passports, free of charge. Additional visa pages will not be added to one year emergency passports or to damaged passports. Download the necessary forms from our web site. If you need extra pages for your passport, please fax us a copy of your passport's personal data page by noon on July 31, 2006 (Monday). Please write "Macau - Extra Pages" at the top and fax to (852) 2845-4845.
- Please bring exact cash (US or HK dollars) for any fee services you require. Patacas will not be accepted.
- If you need a service not listed above, please contact us in advance at 2841-2211, 2841-2323, or 2841-2225. We may be able to bring with us what you need for that service.
Hong Kong Customs Regulations - Prohibited Items
Recently there have been several arrests of U.S. citizens who attempted to enter or transit Hong Kong with prohibited items, including stun guns, brass knuckles and knives purchased in mainland China as souvenirs.
We wish to remind all U.S. citizens visiting or transiting Hong Kong that customs regulations strictly prohibit the importation/exportation of dangerous drugs, psychotropic substances, controlled chemicals, antibiotics, arms, ammunition, fireworks, strategic commodities, rough diamonds, textiles, animals, plants, endangered species, telecommunication equipment, game, meat and poultry into or out of Hong Kong. If any of these prohibited or controlled items are brought into/out of Hong Kong the traveler may be liable to prosecution and the item will be confiscated.
Travelers are liable to prosecution and possible detention if they bring into/out of Hong Kong any firearm or ammunition. Unless otherwise exempted by laws, possession of an "imitation firearm" is also an offence. "Arms" means any firearm, air rifle/air gun/air pistol from which any shot, bullet or missile can be discharged with a muzzle energy greater than two joules, electric stunning device, gun/pistol or other propelling/releasing instrument from or by which a projectile containing any gas or chemical could be discharged, weapon for the discharge of any noxious liquid/gas/powder, and harpoon or spear gun. Paintball guns are included in this category.
Travelers are also liable to prosecution if they bring into/out of Hong Kong any "weapon" which includes Chinese-style throwing dart, gravity knife, gravity-operated steel baton, knuckleduster, Chinese-style fighting iron, spring-loaded steel baton, any knife the blade of which is exposed by a spring or other mechanical/electric device, and any bladed/pointed weapon.
For further information about Hong Kong customs regulations, please consult the following website: www.customs.gov.hk
Typhoon Season
The annual typhoon and rainy season has begun and is expected to last until September. Please be advised that if Typhoon Signal 8 or above OR Black Rainstorm Warning is announced by the Hong Kong Government, the Consulate General will be closed. In the event of closure, all individuals with American Citizens Services appointments are requested to return to the Consulate General with their original appointment confirmation letters anytime from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. OR 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. within five working days after the Consulate re-opens.
Please refer to the following Hong Kong Government website for the latest weather-related warnings: http://www.weather.gov.hk/contente.htm
2006 Mid-term Elections
As of June 27, 2006 there are only 133 days until Election Day!
U.S. Citizens overseas are guaranteed the right to vote in federal elections in the United States. Please note that you cannot simply log on to a website and vote at the last minute. Almost all states require voters to physically send in registration documents, receive paper ballots by return post, and mail in their completed ballots. Adequate preparation is key.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website provides extensive information for overseas voters, including state and monthly election calendars, links to on-line registration and an Absentee Ballot request form, and state-by-state instructions at http://www.fvap.gov.
Another useful on-line resource is the Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) at: http://www.overseasvotefoundation.org. OVF's mission is to facilitate and increase participation of American overseas voters and military voters and their dependents in federal elections by providing public access to innovative voter registration tools and services.
You can also learn more about voting overseas at our website: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/consular/acs/voteoverseas.htm.
Democrats Abroad Happy Hour - July 11, 2006
Democrats Abroad Hong Kong would like to make the following announcement:
"Democrats Abroad will have its monthly happy hour from 6-9 p.m. on July 11 (the second Tuesday of the month, as always) at the Crow's Nest, which is located on the 2/F above Stormy Weather at 46-50 D'Aguilar Street in Lan Kwai Fong. The telephone number is 2845-5533, but you don't need to call to ask them if "Think Blue" wristbands will be available -- they will. For HK$150, you can enjoy an open bar, canapes, and the company of cool people who have already registered to vote, perhaps by using www.votefromabroad.org. Anyone is welcome, whether registered (or American) or not."
Renewing U.S. Drivers Licenses While Overseas
If you find that your U.S. state drivers license is about to expire and you would like to have it renewed, you should contact the DMV office in the state where your current license was issued. Some states will allow you to renew your license while overseas, others will not.
A good place to start your search for information on this process is http://www.dmv.org. From there you can link to your state's DMV office website which usually posts information on procedures for renewing your license. Although the U.S. Consulate has no role in the renewal process, we can notarize certain documents for your if required by your state for renewal. See our information on notarials at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_notarial.html.
U.S. Visas for Domestic Helpers
Many of our subscribers and their families are planning visits to the United States this summer. Under certain limited circumstances, a B-1 visa may be issued to a domestic helper accompanying or following to join the employer on a temporary visit to the United States.
In our experience, we have found that many domestic helpers in Hong Kong have difficulty qualifying for nonimmigrant visas. The decision to grant a visa is based on the domestic helper's situation in Hong Kong. The applicant must demonstrate that he/she has sufficiently strong family, social, or economic ties to their place of residence to ensure that their projected stay in the United States will be temporary.
Please visit our website for more information about how to apply for a non-immigrant visa on behalf of a domestic helper:
http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/visa_services.html
Online Appointment System for All American Citizens Services
Online appointments are required for all services provided by the American Citizens Services Unit at the U.S. Consulate General Hong. Book your appointment at http://www.hongkongacs.com.
If you need directions to our offices, try this online searchable map:
http://www.ypmap.com/en/viewer.asp?mapService=LocationMap
Search for us by street address at 26 Garden Road.
Need more passport pages?
If your full-validity U.S. passport has not expired yet, but has no blank pages left for, say, additional Chinese visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in about 45 minutes, while you wait. You need to make an appointment for this service. In some cases, you can have a courier assist you in this process. Learn more at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs-supplement.html.
Upcoming Holidays and Other Closures
The Consulate General will be closed on the following holidays:
| July 4, 2006 | | Independence Day |
| September 4, 2006 | | Labor Day |
Subscribing/Unsubscribing
Anyone who wishes to sign up to receive this monthly ACS email newsletter and the travel advice we provide can do so simply by going to our web page at http://www.hongkongacs.com and submit their email address in the fill-in box towards the bottom of the page. You can also unsubscribe through the web page.
New subscribers will be sent the last few messages we have sent out in a digest form to help them catch up. Back issues are on the web at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_newsletter.html.
This newsletter is published by the American Citizens Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong, tel: 2841-2211, 2841-2323, 2841-2225; fax: 2845-4845; e-mail:
acshk@state.gov; website:
http://www.hongkongacs.com; All services by online appointment only.
Last modified: June 29, 2006
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