Country Specific Information Sheet for Angola
Please review the latest Consular Information Sheet for Angola at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1096.html.
Angola Exit Visa No Longer Required
On October 12, 2007 SME (Servicos de Imigracao e Estrangeiros) announced that as of November 1, 2007 an exit visa is no longer required to depart Angola. A valid travel document is required to depart Angola. The Internet address for the news article is as follows: http://www.rna.ao/canala/noticias.cgi?ID=17876.
Extra pages for your US passport
If the visa/stamp pages in your passport are full or close to full (two 2 blank pages), you should request that more visa pages to be added. To do so please complete and sign form DS-4085, Application for Additional Visa Pages and bring it with your passport to the Consular Section during American Citizens Services hours. There is no fee for this service and it usually takes about 20 minutes. It is especially important to check your passport before traveling to South Africa which requires 2 blank visa (not endorsement) pages. In addition, Angola requires at least one blank visa (not endorsement) page for entry into the country.
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 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
Passport Cards
The new U.S. passport card is designed to facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card cannot be used to travel by air and will have the same validity period as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for children 15 and younger. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. First-time applicants will pay $45 for adult cards and $35 for children.
New Passport Fees
On February 1, 2008, the Department of State instituted a new fee schedule for passport services. Fees have been adjusted to cover the cost of
providing efficient and secure passport services including infrastructure, technology, and staff. See the chart on http://www.travel.state.gov regarding the fee changes. The passport execution fee collected by passport acceptance centers and U.S. consular sections abroad was reduced from $30 to $25. The passport application fee was raised for both minors and adults.
The new passport book application fee for adults is $75. For first-time applicants for a passport book the total fee is $100 ($75 application fee plus $25 execution fee). For adult applicants eligible to renew a passport using Form DS-82, the total fee is $75.
The new passport book application fee for a minor under the age of 16 is $60. Since all minors under the age of 16 must apply in person, the total fee for a passport book for a minor under the age of 16 is $85 ($60 passport application fee, plus $25 execution fee).
Minors age 16 and 17 are eligible to receive a 10-year passport. The passport book fee for these individuals is $100 ($75 application fee plus $25 execution fee). In most instances minors age 16 and 17 would apply for a passport using a Form DS-11. However, if these individuals have been issued and can present a passport issued for its full validity after their 16th birthday, they are eligible to apply using Form DS-82. For minors age 16 and 17 eligible to renew a passport using Form DS-82, the total fee is $75.
The new fee for an adult applicant for a passport card is $20. The total fee for a first-time adult applicant is $45 ($20 passport card application fee plus $25 execution fee).
The new fee for a minor applicant under the age of 16 for a passport card is $10. The total fee for a first-time minor applicant under 16 is $35 ($10 application fee plus $25 execution fee). Minors under the age 16 are eligible for passport cards valid for 5 years.
The new fee for a minor applicant age 16 and 17 for a passport card is $20. The total fee for a first-time applicant age 16 or 17 is $45 ($20 passport card application fee plus $25 execution fee). Minors ages 16 and 17 are eligible for passport cards valid for 10 years.
A person applying for both a passport book and a passport card at the same time pays only one execution fee.
A person who already possesses a U.S. passport book, who is eligible to apply by mail, may apply for a passport card using Form DS-82 and will not be required to pay the execution fee. Similarly, a person who possesses a U.S. passport card, who is eligible to apply by mail, may apply for a passport book using Form DS-82, and will not be required to pay the execution fee.
Applicants applying for a card using the DS-82 must mail in their current passport if the procedure applies in the particular country, i.e. Canada. Otherwise, they would need to present it at the consulate at application time.
NIV/IV Fee Increase
On January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa increased from $100 to $131. Fees for immigrant visas increased by $20, to $355.
Foreign Entry Requirements for Other Countries
For information on entry requirements for a specific country, please go to the Entry/Exit Requirements section in the Country Specific Information for the country you are interested in at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html. You may also contact the U.S. embassy or consulate of that country for further information.
VOTING INFORMATION UPDATES
State Voter Registration Verification Websites
States and territories are making it easier to determine your voter registration status. Twenty-two states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have web sites where a voter can check their registration status. The website addresses are subject to change.
Please check http://www.fvap.gov/vao/stregissites.html for updates.
Upcoming primary elections:
June 1: Puerto Rico
June 3: Montana and South Dakota
The Basic Absentee Voting Process:
Step 1
Citizen completes and mails the Federal Post Card Application Form (SF-76), Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Form.
Step 2
Local Election Official approves Registration request or requests further information
Step 3
Local Election Official mails absentee ballot*
Step 4
Citizen votes and mails the absentee ballot to the Local Election Official in time to meet state deadlines.
* In order to receive an absentee ballot in a timely manner, it is imperative for citizens to keep their local election official informed of address changes.
Additional information
The FVAP can be contacted via 1-800-438-8683. Citizens may reach the FVAP toll-free from 67 countries using the toll-free numbers listed on the FVAP website, www.fvap.gov. Questions regarding the above may also be referred to the Director, Federal Voting Assistance Program, Department of Defense, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301-1155, and email at vote@fvap.ncr.gov.
New Website for U.S. Students Abroad
The Department of State has launched a public affairs campaign that targets American citizen college students and young people studying and traveling internationally. The campaign is designed to promote safe, smart travel to college students and spring-breakers.
Through a new comprehensive website created for the campaign, http://www.studentsabroad.state.gov, the State Department offers college students a one-stop reference for international travel. The website offers country specific information, tips for safe travel, and other important information, such as who to contact if the student is victim of a crime; what to do in case of a natural disaster or emergency; where the nearest U.S. embassy is located; when to apply for a passport and visa; and how to vote in U.S. election from abroad.
From the Regional Security Office
From the Regional Security Office:
INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SCAMS [part 5 of 6]
"Overpayment Refunds, or: Sorry! Can I have my money back?"
The Setup
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An American citizen has an item to sell and has advertised it online – usually for auction on eBay. He finds a buyer who pays promptly with an international money order. By mistake, the payer encloses too much money – the money order was made for $850 instead of $350. The buyer requests that the seller refund the excess money via Western Union.
The Payoff
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Unusual for Nigerian 419 scams, this one does not rely on a significant potential payoff for the victim. It simply takes advantage of the victim’s sympathy for the buyer and the desire to maintain good business contacts.
The Financial Catch
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The seller assumes that the money order is valid – since the bank has accepted it – and immediately sends the refund via Western Union or other international money order. After a few weeks have passed, the bank informs the seller that the money order was actually a forgery. The bank must therefore deduct the amount of the money order from the seller's account. The seller, therefore, is not only scammed out of the goods, but also the $500 in cash that he sent as a refund.
The Bottom Line
----------------
Many sellers have the mistaken assumption that since a money order was bought with cash, they do not have to wait for it to clear as they would for a personal check. It hardly occurs to the victim that the money order itself could be fraudulent.
The main variant on this theme involves online roommate services. Instead of sending money as payment for goods, the payment is meant as the deposit for renting a room. The scammer usually claims to be a student who urgently needs the excess money refunded so he can use it for paying school fees, transportation, and visas.
Yet another variant has the buyer alleging that there is a third person who owes him money, and he will arrange for that person to pay the seller directly. The amount the debtor sends is in excess of the agreed selling amount, so the seller is kindly requested to forward the difference to the buyer.
NEXT ISSUE, Part 6: "Laundering Crooked Money – The Original MO"
Recent Warden Messages
US Government Employee Restrictions on Flying TAAG
April 2, 2008
The U.S. Embassy in Luanda has prohibited its employees from using TAAG, Angola’s national airline, for domestic or international flights due to concerns regarding safety and maintenance.
Following a series of late-1980's incidents and accidents involving foreign air carriers that cast doubt on the adequacy of safety oversight provided by those carriers' governments, and as a result of U.S. Congressional hearings on the issue, the U.S. Government initiated the IASA Program in 1991.
The FAA began to visit its foreign counterpart agencies in order to determine whether those governments were in fact meeting their international safety oversight obligations. The widespread and often fundamental safety oversight deficiencies discovered during those visits made clear that the U.S. Government could no longer assume that other countries were fulfilling their obligations under the Chicago Convention.
The IASA program was first announced in an August 1992 Federal Register notice and updated in the May 2000 Federal Register. Countries whose CAAs comply with ICAO safety oversight standards are listed on the FAA website as "Category 1," and countries whose CAAs do not comply with ICAO standards are listed as "Category 2."
The State Department's Country Specific Information (CSI) sheets also indicate whether or not a country has had an IASA assessment and, if so, whether or not the country's CAA complies with ICAO standards. (NOTE: Further information on the IASA program can be found on the FAA's website at: http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa/
Travel to the Cabinda region
April 1, 2008
This warden message is being released to provide information to Americans on the current security situation in Cabinda. Americans located in or planning to visit the northern province of Cabinda should be aware of threats to their safety outside of Cabinda city.
In 2007 and 2008 armed groups specifically targeted and attacked expatriates in Cabinda; these armed attacks resulted in the rape, robbery and murder of at least two expatriates working in Cabinda. The groups claiming responsibility have declared their intention to continue attacks against expatriates.
Occasional attacks against police and Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) convoys and outposts also continue to be reported. These incidents, while small in overall numbers, have occurred with little or no warning. American citizens are, therefore, urged to exercise extreme caution when traveling outside of Cabinda city.
Americans living or traveling in Angola are encouraged to register their presence with the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/, and to review also the Embassy's Internet website at http://usembassy.state.gov/angola for the latest travel and security information within Angola. Americans without Internet access may register directly at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Registration will permit the Consular Section to contact registered individuals in case of an emergency.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.
These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The U.S. Consular Section is located at the U.S. Embassy, Rua Houari Boumedienne, 32, tel. (244) 222-641-000, (244) 222-445-481, 222-445-727, 222-446-096; fax (244) 222-641-259. Normal Embassy business hours are Monday – Thursday, 0800 – 1800 hrs. and Friday 0800 – 1200. For after hours emergencies, contact the Embassy’s duty officer at (244) 923-404-209.
Useful Web Pages
Internal Revenue Service (for tax forms and information) -
www.irs.govDepartment of Motor Vehicles (for driver’s license renewal information) -
www.dmv.org
Annual Children's Contest: Call for Entries
CALL FOR ENTRIES: "A-OK" Program Annual Calendar Contest
-- By DS Public Affairs Office
The US State Department (Diplomatic Security Service) is pleased to announce its annual contest for the A-OK ("Alert Overseas Kids") children's security program. We are requesting entries earlier in order to be sure the 2009 Calendars reach posts before the new year.
We invite children in three groups -- grades K-2, 3-4, and 5-6 -- to submit full color drawings on the theme "Living Safely Overseas." The contest is open to all children in the Foreign Service community, including children of FSN/LES employees, as well as children (of all nationalities) at overseas international schools (LIS, ESCOLA, etc.)
We will conduct a local contest, selecting three winners from each age group and submitting the final nine drawings to Washington. Entries must be received no later than July 31, 2008 to allow adequate time for scanning, layout and printing of the calendar. Of the entries from all posts, 13 winners will be selected, one for each month and one for the cover. All participants in this final selection will receive a certificate of appreciation.
Winners will receive a certificate of achievement and a prize (TBD).
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
The theme for the contest is: LIVING SAFELY OVERSEAS. Entries should illustrate "safety" themed messages.
All drawings should be on paper no larger than 11 x 17 inch, with Letter (8.5 x 11 inch) or A4 (210mm x 297mm) sized artwork being preferred. Drawings larger than this cannot be accommodated by our scanning equipment for prepress and cannot be considered for inclusion.
Drawings MUST be oriented in "LANDSCAPE" format (wide vs. tall):
-- Artwork submitted in "portrait" format cannot be considered for inclusion
-- Drawings can use any media (Crayon, Pen, Paint, etc.)
-- Please send only three entries per grade group. Those posts that receive a small number of entries (under 9) and find it difficult to select three final winners may submit more than three drawings.
-- It is very important that each drawing submitted have the following information clearly marked on the back in block letters as shown below:
CHILD'S NAME (First, Last)
-- GRADE
-- POST: Luanda
Submit your entries and direct any questions to the U.S. Embassy in Luanda, Attn: RSO Keith LaRochelle /ARSO Delvis Jimenez. The RSO staff will forward all entries received by the submission deadline to Washington.
Again, the deadline for entries is July 31, 2008.
Good luck!
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