for the americans in china - july american embassy email

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U.S. Embassy: July Newsletter
U.S. State Department
U.S. Embassy Beijing 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 U.S. citizens in the People's Republic of China. Please feel free to disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your organizations or to other Americans you know.

If there are any particular topics you are interested in, please contact ACS at [e-mail].

In this issue, the following topics are addressed:

1. Registration with local police
2. Renewing U.S. Passports Ahead of Summer Travel (including passports for minors and adding pages to your passport)
3. Fact sheet on the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games
4. Voting! Make your voice heard.
5. Recent Travel Warnings and Announcements
6. Upcoming Holidays: The afternoon of July 3rd and all of July 4 (US Independence Day)
7. Embassy Contact Information


1. REGISTRATION WITH THE POLICE

*** Although anecdotal evidence supports the following information, the PSB (Police Security Bureau) has not provided official notification regarding changes listed here. This information is being provided because of numerous inquiries ACS has received regarding enforcement of registration guidelines. ***

The Embassy has been informed that the PSB recently issued guidelines to hotels and apartment management companies concerning the registration of foreigners in China. The rule states that all foreigners must be registered with the local PSB office within 24 hours of arrival. Both individual violators and hotels and apartment managers could be subject to fines for failing to adhere to the rule.

Hotels and serviced apartments
Guests must be registered upon arrival with the PSB by their hotel or serviced apartment management company. Usually this procedure is automatic, as guest information is directly given to the PSB at check-in, with no additional action being required from the guest. However, the PSB is conducting some checks by physically visiting hotels to request copies of the hotel's in-house guest list to make sure they match the PSB?s own records. If the records do not match, the hotel / serviced apartment will be fined up to RMB5,000 per missing entry. Hotel guests under these circumstances would not be fined.

However, this does mean that foreigners wishing to stay at a hotel must provide full passport and visa credentials in order to check in. Some hotels have denied check-in to guests with reservations who are not in possession of a passport and visa.

Foreign personnel living in private apartments
Apartment management companies are supposed to contact foreign tenants to remind them to register with the local PSB. Tenants who do not register risk being fined themselves as well as having their apartment management company fined. Fines can be up to RMB 5,000. This applies to any foreigner living in any apartment or private dwelling - even if it is for just for one night. If staying overnight or visiting friends in China, registration must be carried out upon arrival with the local PSB office responsible for the area.
*** End of article***

VISA Problems
The Embassy has also anecdotal evidence that people are having difficulty renewing or changing their visas while in China. Please check that you have a valid visa as the PSB has been fining and in some cases, detaining people who remain in China with the incorrect visa or a visa that has expired. Under Chinese law, the PSB may ask to see your passport, so keep it handy when traveling. The Embassy recommends that you carry your passport with you, but be careful to keep it out of easy reach from pickpockets or where it can be easily lost or mislaid. You should keep a copy of the passport bio page and your valid visa in a safe place at home. Do keep in mind that should you lose your passport, you will need to have it replaced at the Embassy or one of our Consulates, and you will also need to have a new visa placed in your replacement passport by Chinese officials. This process may take several days.


2. Renewing U.S. Passports Ahead of Summer Travel

U.S. citizens who will be traveling this summer are strongly encouraged to check their passports (and those of their family members) now to confirm that they have not expired or will not expire soon. Don't let a long-awaited vacation or a move to another country become a nightmare because of an expired passport. Note that some countries require foreigners to have a passport with a validity of at least six months in order to be granted entry to their country; you should check with the Embassy of the country you are traveling to. If your passport has expired or is nearing its expiration date, you should begin the process of applying for a new one immediately in order to beat the summer rush. A passport applied for at the Embassy can take 7 to 10 days to process. For information on renewal procedures, please see http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/passports.html.

REMINDER: NEW PASSPORT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL MINORS UNDER AGE 16

On February 1, 2008, new regulations for passports for minors came into effect. The new rule extends the two?parent consent and personal appearance requirements to all minors under the age of 16. This means that 14 and 15 year-olds must also now comply with the same rules that previously applied to minors under 14. Most significantly, a minor under age 16 MUST appear with BOTH parents when submitting an application for a passport. The appearance of both parents cannot be waived, although there is a provision, in certain circumstances, for one parent to present a letter of authorization, together with one attending parent. In addition, the application MUST include the following items:

? Application Form DS-11
? Proof of U.S. citizenship of the minor
? Documentation of evidence of child's relationship to parents/guardians Parental identification Notarized parental application authorization letter (If one parent is absent)
? Two passport photos (2x2 inches, color photo with a plain white background)
? Fees for application (US$82)
? Social Security Number

NEED MORE PASSPORT PAGES?

If your full-validity U.S. passport has not expired, but has no blank pages left for visas, we can add additional pages for you free of charge. Barring any unusual circumstances, we can usually add pages to your passport in two hours or less. Learn more at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_extra.html.


3. Fact sheet on the upcoming Olympic Games

a fact sheet specifically for the upcoming Olympic Games which addresses health, security and visa issues for the summer of 2008. Please go to http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_olympic.html for complete information. We highly recommend checking out www.travel.state.gov, which also has a wide variety of information useful to American citizens traveling or residing abroad.


4. Voting!

Question: What do true Americans miss most when they live in China?

Answer: That?s right, VOTING!

Avoid the pangs of election campaign withdrawal syndrome by following these instructions for ABSENTEE VOTING 2008:

1. Register to vote and request your ballot in a timely manner ? the sooner the better.

2. Complete the Federal Post Card Application Form (SF-76), obtainable from the Federal Voting Assistance Program?s (FVAP) website: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/fpca.html. Or stop by American Citizen Services anytime to pick up a form.

4. Make sure your local election official has your current mailing address, in block 4.

3. Mail the FPCAF form via FPO mail to your local election official. You can find the correct mailing address for your state here: http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag.html#ch3

5. Sign and date all election materials.

5. Fulfill your state?s witness/notary requirements (if required).

6. Ensure that your ballot or FPCA is postmarked.

7. VOTE - mail your ballot not later than October 15, 2008.

8. Use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot if you are overseas and your stateside absentee ballot does not arrive in time to be mailed back by your state?s deadline.

For more information, contact [e-mail]. Please also see our website at http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/acs_notice.html or at www.travel.state.gov or www.fvap.gov for up to date information and updates on voting in the United States.


5. Recent Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts

The U.S. Department of State has recently issued travel warnings or travel alerts for the following countries, regions, or topics:

Burma 06/03/2008
Zimbabwe 06/02/2008
China (earthquake) 05/30/2008
Hurricane Season 05/30/2008
Lebanon 05/30/2008

For complete texts of these travel warnings and alerts, click on this link:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html


6. Upcoming Holidays: The afternoon of July 3rd and all of July 4th

American Citizen Services will be closed the afternoon of July 3rd and all day on July 4th in celebration of Independence Day.

Please be advised that the days just before and after holidays 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 can 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://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/holidays.html


7. Embassy Contact Information

Write to us or visit our office in person during work hours
American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy, Beijing
No.2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District
Beijing, P.R. China 100600

The American Citizen Services section is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday except American and Chinese holidays, between the hours of 8:30am-12:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:00pm. On Wednesdays we are open during the morning from 8:30-12:00pm. Be sure to bring your passport for identification.

Call the Embassy
(8610) 6532-3431

Email us
[e-mail]

End of newsletter text.

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Comments

[Mom]

Very Useful Info!
Molly, it's so nice that you continue to share your self-attained wealth of information with the rest of the world! Many good links shared here. Thank you Ambassador Molly!!