Overview
Renewal:
Schools:
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Welcome to the May newsletter!
Upcoming Holidays and ACS Office Closures The Embassy and Consulates will be closed for the following holidays:
A full list of all of our holiday closings is online here. American citizens who require emergency assistance during holidays should contact the office serving their part of Japan. If you do come to see us at the Embassy in Tokyo, note that we have two lines to enter the building; a (usually) longer line for visa applicants and a much shorter line for customers coming for American Citizen Services help. Check the signs by the Embassy entrance, which will direct you to the appropriate line. We use a computerized customer ticketing system; upon entering the Consular section, you can select the type of service you require (e.g. Passport, Notary, etc.) and wait in the ACS Waiting Room for your number to be called.
Security Situation In light of recent events and the upcoming G8 summit, the U.S. Embassy asks all Americans in Japan to review their personal security practices and to report any unusual activities to local authorities. The Government of Japan maintains heightened security measures at key facilities and ports of entry as counter-terrorism precautions linked to the increased tensions in the Middle East. The January 17, 2008 Worldwide Caution Public Announcement we distributed via this channel remains in effect. Please view the full text online here. You can always read the most current information online here. Since our last newsletter, the Department of State has five new Travel Warnings (Burundi, Lebanon, Syria, Haiti, and Yemen) and four Travel Alerts (China, Mexico, Zimbabwe, and Comoros). Please review them online here. The most up-to-date information regarding permitted and prohibited items on flights can be viewed online here. For additional information, please visit "Americans Traveling Abroad" on the State Dept. website. To obtain up-to-date information on security conditions, call 1-888-407-4747 (toll free in the United States), or 1-202-501-4444 if you are in Canada or outside the United States.
Heightened Security Measures for the G-8 During upcoming months, the Japanese government will host the following Group of 8 (G-8) Cabinet-level meetings throughout Japan, followed by a Head of State meeting in Hokkaido. You may face heightened security measures in these cities and find some closed and/or limited lodging and transportation services before and during the meetings.
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. Don't let a long-awaited and well-deserved vacation become a nightmare because of an expired passport! If your passport has expired or is nearing its expiration date, you should begin the process of applying for a new one as soon as possible in order to beat the summer rush. A passport applied for at the Embassy or one of our Consulates can take three to four weeks to process. Renewing a passport by mail is possible in some cases. Please check the rules that apply to your particular case online here.
CBP’s Global Entry Program – An Expedited Way to Enter the U.S. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently announced it will launch a new pilot program this summer designed to expedite the screening and processing of low-risk, frequent international travelers entering the United States. Details concerning this Global Entry Program can be found online here.
Economic Stimulus Payments - Exceptions The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) recently mailed an information package to 130 million households and individuals who regularly file tax returns related to the recently signed Economic Stimulus Payments. It is important to understand that the tax stimulus payments are not applicable or available to the following individuals:
Please click here for more information.
Avian Flu - Update No human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 Avian Influenza (AI) were reported in Japan during the period of January 30 to March 31, 2008. The April 16, 2008 evening Nikkei front-paged a report saying that an expert panel of the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare earlier in the day approved measures to combat a possible influenza pandemic, including vaccinations and faster production of an effective vaccine after an outbreak. According to the daily, the Government of Japan (GOJ) has stockpiled vaccine manufactured using the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, with enough doses for about 20 million people. The GOJ reportedly plans to vaccinate some 6,400 quarantine and customs officers and healthcare professionals at designated hospitals by the end of this fiscal year as part of a study. If the vaccine is confirmed to be safe and effective, the government may move to vaccinate 10 million people, including other healthcare professionals, Diet members, and police officers. The paper added that the panel also decided to accelerate the study to shorten the time to produce a vaccine that will cover the entire Japanese population from the current 18 months to 6 months.
Voting: First Step First – The FPCA The Federal Post Card Application Form (FPCA SF-76) is the first step in the absentee voting process. This form is accepted by all states and territories as a simultaneous request for registration and/or an absentee ballot. The current version of the form is dated October 2005 but the 1995 version of the form is still in circulation and is still a valid registration and absentee ballot request form. Citizens voting under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) are eligible to participate in all elections for Federal offices in their state of legal residence. Many of these citizens are also eligible to vote in state and local elections. Because election laws vary from state to state, we recommend you consult the 2008-2009 Voting Assistance Guide for specific information regarding your state's laws. The Guide contains state-by-state procedures for UOCAVA citizens to register and/or request an absentee ballot using the FPCA. All shaded areas for your state or territory as indicated in the Guide must be completed. The Guide is available online at www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag.html.
Voting: Things to Remember When Filling Out the FPCA
Voting: Some suggestions on mailing voting materials American citizens can mail voting materials through the APO/FPO or diplomatic pouch, but the total transit time is most likely to be much longer than Japanese international mail. Those wishing to send materials via diplomatic pouch should drop them off in the American Citizen Services section of the US Embassy, or their consulate. Voters should check the FVAP website at www.fvap.gov and Voting Assistance Guide (VAG) for the states that all the electronic transmission of voting materials. Those choosing to fax their voting materials should make sure to use the electronic transmission cover sheet for each FPCA or ballot sent (see p. 433 of the VAG). Voters using the online FPCA or FWAB, and who are returning a ballot via U.S. postal channels (including APO/FPO or diplomatic pouch), can print out the attached prepaid mailing label and tape it to the outside of an envelope in order to take advantage of free postage.
Voting: Maryland to Hold Special Election for 4th District 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 and click on "Communicating with Your Elected Officials," and then on "Who is my Representative?" All members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members, and 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. Specific instructions for Maryland are available online here. The County Board of Elections must receive the FPCA for voter registration and absentee ballot request not later than Tuesday, May 27, 2008, and for absentee ballot request only no later than Tuesday, June 10, 2008. Voters who are Maryland residents from the 4th District and requested a ballot for the Presidential and State Primary on February 12, 2008 will automatically receive this ballot and need not take any further action. Maryland allows members of the U.S. Uniformed Services and their family members to send the FPCA for ballot request by fax. After faxing, submit the original FPCA by mail. Use the following toll-free fax numbers for the U.S. and Canada: 1-800-368-8683, (703) 693-5527 or DSN 223-5527 (military). A list of additional toll-free fax numbers from overseas countries are available online here. Maryland does not allow faxing of the FPCA for registration. If requesting to receive the blank ballot by fax, be sure to provide your fax number with all applicable prefixes and country codes. When returned, your ballot will be counted as long as it is postmarked on or before June 17, 2008 and arrives at the appropriate Board of Elections no later than June 27, 2008. Maryland does not allow return of the voted ballot by fax. Specific information on your precinct, candidates, elections, and voting is available at the Maryland State Board of Elections website, www.elections.state.md.us.
Foreign Service Officer Test – Taking it in Japan Want to help share a freer, more secure and more prosperous world by formulating, representing and implementing U.S. foreign policy? Start by taking the Foreign Service Officer Written Test (FSOT), the first step toward a career in American diplomacy. The next FSOT will be offered this July in Japan. The selection process begins by registering online for the FSOT. The Department of State revised the selection process last year to take into account examinees’ relevant life experience. This change is intended to help the State Department identify, and more quickly hire, the most qualified candidates. This exam was last offered at select overseas locations in December 2008. In Japan, the Embassy and Consulates will offer the FSOT according to the following schedule.
Please click here to register.
Someone Asked the Consul About: Consumer Advocates in Japan Someone recently inquired with our Consulate General in Osaka about consumer advocates in Japan and where to file complaints regarding credit card overcharges. Our readers may find the following information and links helpful.
Consumer Information in Japan
Credit Card Complaints
Leaving Japan? If you are departing from Japan after a long stay here, and you formally registered your stay with the Embassy or closest U.S. consulate, please be sure to "cancel" your registration when you leave. You can deregister yourself by visiting the travelregistration.state.gov site. You may also want to consider unsubscribing from the newsletter mailing list. Please see the instructions on how to accomplish this below.
Unsubscribing We make every attempt to include in our newsletter information of real value. We know that should world events dictate, we can use this email channel to get important information to you, as we did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. That said, if you are leaving Japan or otherwise wish to unsubscribe from this list you can unsubscribe by writing from the same email address you used to subscribe, and send a blank email to:
leave-tokyoacs@mh.databack.comIf you need to receive these newsletters at a different email address, unsubscribe first, using the old address, and subscribe again from the new address.
Contact us:
American Embassy in Tokyo The Embassy helps Americans in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata and Yamanashi.
American Consulate General Sapporo The Consulate in Sapporo helps Americans in Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi. As there are times when both officers are away from the office, we ask that you make an appointment before coming to the Consulate General.
American Consulate Nagoya Consulate Nagoya provides emergency consular services including death and arrest cases for Americans living in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. Please call Nagoya or Osaka for confirmation before traveling to Nagoya if you believe you have an emergency situation. Routine American Citizen services are provided by appointment only. If an appointment is not available, American residents may also receive service at the Consulate in Osaka.
American Consulate General Osaka-Kobe The Consulate in Osaka helps Americans in Osaka, Aichi, Ehime, Fukui, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Kochi, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Okayama, Shimane, Shiga, Tokushima, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama.
American Consulate Fukuoka The Consulate in Fukuoka helps Americans in Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga and Yamaguchi.
American Consulate General Naha The Consulate in Naha helps Americans in Okinawa and the Amami Oshima Island group (which is the southern island group of Kagoshima Prefecture). Travel, safety and security information is also available directly from the Department of State.
Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents. This subscription list is maintained by a private company and the U.S. Government cannot guarantee the privacy of any e-mail address.
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