Subject: American Citizen
Services Newsletter JULY 2008
Consular Section, American Citizen Services (ACS) Newsletter
July 2008
The U.S. Embassy is
transmitting the following monthly newsletter via its warden system as a public
service to
In this issue:
1. Renewing
2. Ensure That Your Absentee
Vote Is Counted
3. Next Consular Services
Visit to Busan, July 22-23
4. Korean Government
Launches Improved English Language Website
5. Foreign Service Officer
Test Offered in
6. Visa Rules for Foreign
Instructors
7. Recent Travel Warnings
and Announcements
8. Upcoming Holidays: Early
Closing July 3; July 4
9. Embassy Contact
Information
-------------------------------------------------
1. Renewing
-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------
2. Ensure That Your Absentee
Vote is Counted
--------------------------------------------
Here are ten ways to help
ensure that your absentee vote is counted:
(1) Start by contacting your
Embassy or military unit Voting Assistance Officer for help in absentee
registration and voting. The Embassy's
Voting Assistance officer is available at VoteSeoul@state.gov.
(2) Visit the Federal Voting
Assistance Program’s website at www.fvap.gov for
information on the absentee registration and voting process.
(3) Ensure that you have
applied for your absentee ballot using the hard copy or on-line versions of the
Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) form.
(4) Make
sure your local election official has your current mailing address.
(5) Sign and date all
election materials.
(6) Fulfill
your state’s witness/notary requirements (if required).
(7) Ensure
that your ballot or FPCA is postmarked.
(8) Register to vote and
request your ballot in a timely manner - not later than early September 2008.
(9) VOTE - mail your ballot
not later than October 15, 2008.
(10) Use the Federal Write In Absentee Ballot if you are overseas and your State
absentee ballot does not arrive in time to be mailed back by your state’s
deadline.
----------------------------------------------------
3. Next Consular Services Visit to Busan,
July 22-23
----------------------------------------------------
Officials from
the Embassy's American Citizen Services Unit will offer consular services in Busan on July 22-23.
These services will be at the offices of the American Presence
Post in Busan.
A Consular
officer will be available on Tuesday, July 22, from 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. and on
Wednesday, June 23, from 9:00 a.m.–noon at the American Presence Post, Lotte Gold Rose Building (also known as the Job Center
Building), #150-3, Yangjung-dong, Busanjin-gu,
Room No. 612.
American
citizens will be able to apply for
Any questions
about requirements, particularly for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, should be
directed by email to seoul_acs@state.gov. Please allow at least three days for a
response.
If you plan to visit the ACS
Unit in Busan, we strongly urge you to consult the
website at http://www.asktheconsul.org
for more information on our consular services and to ensure that you bring the
proper forms (filled out in advance) and fees with you. In addition to bringing original supporting
documents (i.e., birth certificate, passport, Certificate of Naturalization),
please bring photocopies of all documents you plan to submit. There will
not be a photocopier available on-site.
If you notify us prior to
9:00 a.m. on Monday, July 21, we can add pages to your passport in Busan while you wait.
Please complete form DS-4085, which can be downloaded at:
http://foia.state.gov/FORMS/Passport/DS4085.pdf. Write "Busan -
Extra Pages" at the top of the completed form, include a copy of your
passport’s personal data page (the page with your photo), and fax it to our
office at (02) 397-4101. Alternatively,
you can email us your request. Be sure
to attach clearly scanned copies of both your DS-4085 form and your passport’s
data page. Email it to Seoul_ACS@state.gov and put “RESEND:
BUSAN EXTRA PAGES” in the subject line.
Please note that additional pages cannot be added to one-year emergency
passports or to damaged passports. There
is no charge for this service.
Additional information about adding pages is available on our website: http://korea.usembassy.gov/add_pages.html.
The Busan
APP's website is: http://busan.usconsulate.gov.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. Korean Government
Launches Improved English Language Website
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Korean government has an
English-language website specifically for foreigners: http://www.hikorea.go.kr/pt/index.html. The website provides information on
immigration (including electronic applications for many types of visas and
online appointment scheduling), general employment in
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Foreign Service Officer
Test Offered in
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The
U.S. Embassy will be administering the Foreign Service exam in
Please
be advised that the registration process for the Foreign Service Officer Test
has changed. Applicants will start by
filling out a registration package that consists of an application form and a
set of personal narrative questions that, taken together, provide information
about your experience and qualifications.
Applicants will need approximately three hours to complete the
registration package.
Important
deadlines:
July
3, 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Central Standard Time): Deadline for candidates intending
to test overseas to submit a completed Registration Package.
July
9, 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Central Standard Time): Deadline for candidates intending
to test overseas to schedule a test seat.
July
10 11:59 p.m. (U.S. Central Standard Time): Deadline for candidates intending
to test in the
48
hours before start of your test: Deadline for candidates intending to test in
the
-------------------------------------
6. Visa Rules
for Foreign Instructors
-------------------------------------
The Korean
Ministry of Justice announced that as of December 15, 2007, foreigners will
have to submit medical and criminal background checks when applying for a visa
to become a foreign language teacher in
As we understand
the new requirements, E-2 visa applicants who are
As we receive
updated information on the Korean visa requirements, we will post it on our
website. The U.S. Embassy website will also continue to be the best
source of information about the services that we are able to provide under
http://moj.korea.kr/moj/jsp/moj1_branch.jsp?_action=news_view&_property=p_sec_1&_id=155250149.
-------------------------------------------
7. Recent Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts
-------------------------------------------
The U.S.
Department of State has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for
the following countries and regions:
Chad 06/23/2008
Côte d'Ivoire 06/09/2008
Eritrea 06/11/2008
Iraq 06/13/2008
Sri Lanka 06/13/2008
For additional
information about these travel warnings and alerts, click on this link:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
--------------------------------------------------
8. Upcoming
Holidays: Early Closing July 3; July 4
--------------------------------------------------
American Citizen Services
will exceptionally close at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. If you plan to register the birth of your
child or to get married on July 3, please arrive during the earlier part of the
morning hours.
The Embassy will be closed
on July 4, 2008.
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. Do not be surprised at a significantly longer
wait for consular services on those days.
If you visit us outside those times, you should have a shorter wait.
A complete list
of all of our holiday closings for 2008 is available on-line at http://seoul.usembassy.gov/holidays.html.
------------------------------
9. Embassy Contact Information
------------------------------
American Citizen Services
32, Sejongno, Jongno-gu
- or -
American Citizen Services
Unit #15550
Tel: 02-397-4114
Fax: 02-397-4101
DSN: 721-4114
English: http://www.asktheconsul.org/
Korean: http://www.usavisas.org/
E-mail: seoul_acs@state.gov