The U.S. Embassy has
transmitted the following monthly newsletter via its warden system as a public
service to
In this issue:
1. IRS Says Economic
Stimulus Payments on the Way 2. Next Consular Services Visit to Busan, May 20-21 3. Avian Flu Precautions
4. Ensure That Your Absentee Vote Is Counted 5.
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1. IRS Says Economic
Stimulus Payments on the Way
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The Internal Revenue Service
has begun to transfer economic stimulus payments to millions of Americans, some
of whom will see payments in their bank accounts as early as this week. The IRS will issue payments of up to $600
($1,200 for married couples) plus $300 for eligible children younger than 17,
throughout the spring and summer. The first
wave of payments will go to people who opted for direct deposit on their 2007
income tax returns. Whether a taxpayer
opted for direct deposit determines how soon the payment will arrive. The first
cycle of paper checks will be mailed starting May 9.
Even people who normally do
not have a filing requirement may be eligible for the stimulus payment. People who have no filing requirement must
have at least $3,000 in qualifying income.
Qualifying income includes any combination of earned income, nontaxable
combat pay they elect to include in earned income, and certain payments from
Social Security, Veterans Affairs, and Railroad Retirement.
People with at least $3,000
in qualifying income may qualify for an economic stimulus payment of $300 ($600
for married couples) plus the $300 per qualifying child payment. However, they
must file a 2007 income tax return by Oct. 15 , 2008,
to receive a stimulus payment. They can use the simple Form 1040A and provide
basic information. Form 1040A is available on IRS.gov, the official IRS Web
site.
The payment schedule
announced earlier this year is for people who filed early enough to have their
tax returns processed by April 15. People who did not submit a return in time
for it to be processed by April 15 may see their stimulus payments later than
the scheduled dates.
For the payments schedule,
please see: http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=180250,00.html. For frequently asked questions about the
payments, please see: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=181991,00.html.
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2. Next Consular Services
Visit to Busan, May 20-21
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Officials from the Embassy's
American Citizen Services Unit will offer consular services in Busan on May 20-21.
These services will be at our new location, the offices of the
recently-opened American Presence Post in Busan. A Consular officer will be available on
Tuesday, May 20, from 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, May 21, 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, May 19, 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.
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3. Avian Flu Precautions
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There have been several
instances of the H5N1 strain of avian flu in poultry on farms throughout
For additional up-to-date
information on avian flu and a list of other sources of information, please see
the Embassy website at http://seoul.usembassy.gov/avian_flu2.html. Also please visit the U.S. Government’s
official clearinghouse on pandemics at www.pandemicflu.gov
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/.
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4. Ensure That Your Absentee
Vote is Counted
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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.
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5.
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On Tuesday, June 17, 2008,
there will be a special general election in 4th Congressional District of Maryland
to fill the seat of Representative Albert Wynn.
To determine if your legal residence is in the 4th Congressional
District, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) website, www.fvap.gov/comm/communicating.html
and click on "Communicating with Your Elected Officials," then
"Who is my Representative?."
REGISTERING TO VOTE AND
REQUESTING A BALLOT:
All members of the U.S.
Uniformed Services, their family members, and U.S. citizens residing outside
the U.S. who are Maryland residents from the 4th District should request
registration and an absentee ballot for this special general election by
completing and submitting a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), SF-76, as
soon as possible, if you have not done so already in calendar year 2008. The online version of the FPCA is available
from the FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html. Specific instructions for
Voters who are
Specific information on your
precinct, candidates, elections, and voting is available at the Maryland State
Board of Elections website,
http://www.elections.state.md.us/.
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6. Visa Rules for Foreign
Instructors
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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
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7. Recent Travel Warnings
and Travel Alerts
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The U.S. Department of State
has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for the following
countries and regions:
For additional information
about these travel warnings and alerts, click on this link:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html
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8. Upcoming Holidays: May 5,
12, 26
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The U.S. Embassy will be
closed on the following dates:
May 5 (Monday) Orininal
May 12 (Monday) Sukka Tansin Il
May 26 (Monday) Memorial Day
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.
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9. Embassy Contact
Information
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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