Consulate General Belfast

American Citizen Newsletters

U.S. Consulate General Belfast Newsletter Q1 2006

Dear American Community,

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the U.S. Consulate General's American Citizen Newsletter. The goal of this newsletter is to keep American citizens living in or visiting Northern Ireland informed regarding issues of interest or concern. You will also continue to receive messages on security matters and emergencies as they arise, including any travel cautions or public announcements that affect the U.K. I hope you find these newsletters useful and informative. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

Thanks and best wishes for the New Year,

Dean Pittman
Consul General

"What Does the Consulate Do?" A Town Hall Meeting

Have you ever wondered what we do at the Consulate? Do you ever wish you could ask the Consul General himself what he thinks about Northern Ireland? Well, we would like to offer you that opportunity. The Consulate will be arranging a Town Hall Meeting in Belfast for American citizens interested in learning more about the U.S. government's presence in Northern Ireland. As we gather more information regarding the times and venue we will let you know. We would also like to gauge interest in holding such a meeting(s) outside Belfast. Please register your interest by emailing Consularbelfast@state.gov.

Consulate Speakers Program

Are you interested in having a Consul speak at your next event? If your organization has interest in topics related to the U.S., we may be able to send a diplomat to speak with you. We can discuss a wide range of topics including U.S. policy in Northern Ireland, historical relations between the U.S. and Northern Ireland, staying safe overseas, absentee voting, passing U.S. citizenship to children born overseas and much more. You may register your interest by emailing Consularbelfast@state.gov. Please include your organization's name, address, number of members, number of American members, contact name, phone number, email address, calendar of regular meeting dates/times, and topics of particular interest.

Avian Flu Information

A number of countries are reporting cases of avian influenza, commonly referred to as "bird flu" in their domestic and wild bird populations. Check out the USINFO Department of State website http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/global_issues/bird_flu.html for information including links (under Resources) to World Health Organization and The Center for Disease Control. We advise Americans who are planning travel to a country that has reported the virus or who are concerned about the avian flu to monitor the CDC and the WHO web sites for the latest information.

Passport Amendments No Longer Allowed

In an effort to strengthen the security of U.S. passports, Passport Services can no longer amend currently valid passports. This change in procedure became effective September 26, 2005. American citizens who formerly required a passport amendment will now be required to obtain a replacement passport. As a result of this new policy, those who change their name due to marriage, divorce, adoption or other reasons must apply for a new passport. If the application for this passport is received within one year of the issue date of the previous one, there will be no charge for the new passport. Otherwise, normal fees will apply. You may still add pages to an existing passport at no charge. For full passport application information and forms, please see our web site at http://london.usembassy.gov.

2006 Is A Voting Year!

The 2006 mid-term elections are fast approaching, with the first primaries set for March. At stake are all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 33 Senate seats, 37 state governorships and thousands of state and local initiatives. This is an excellent time to make sure that you are registered in your last U.S. state of residence and that the information on your election card is correct. Check out how to do this at the Federal Voter's Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov or email them at vote@fvap.ncr.gov. We are happy to help! If you have any questions about your state's requirements or wish to receive a registration card, please give us a call.

Social Security Benefit Increase

Monthly Social Security benefits for more than 48 million Americans will increase 4.1 percent in 2006, the Social Security Administration announced in October. The 4.1 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits paid in January 2006. Please note that no one's Social Security benefit will decrease as a result of the 2006 Medicare Part B premium increase announced last month. By law, the Part B premium increase cannot be larger than a beneficiary's COLA increase. More information about Medicare can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov.

Preparing for the Tax Season From Overseas

Did you know the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has an office at the U.S. Embassy in London? It's there to help you navigate U.S. tax filing requirements and to provide information on tax treaty benefits.

If you have questions, try calling the IRS automated phone system at 020-7408-8077. Callers can obtain information on filing requirements, order forms or publications and receive other general information. If you call between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday, you may speak with an actual Tax Assistor. The International Customer Service Tax Assistance call center in Philadelphia also answers individual tax questions at (215) 516-2000.

If you're looking for tax forms, try http://www.irs.gov. You may also pick forms up at the U.S. Consulate General or order them at the above mentioned local automated phone system.

Internet Based Registration System for U.S. Citizens

The State Department recently launched a secure online website which will allow you, as an American citizen, to record a trip abroad and/or foreign residence information that the Department of State can use to communicate with you and assist you in case of an emergency. The site also provides you with up-to-date travel information customized to your unique travel agenda and itinerary. To register or to update an existing registration record, please click on https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs.

Those who register an email address with the Consulate General will automatically receive a copy of our new quarterly newsletter. If you have any questions about registration, please email the Consulate at consularbelfast@state.gov.

Travel for Non-Americans

U.S. visa regulations and the requirements for visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program change. If you have non-American family or friends who are traveling to the United States, please encourage them to check out the current requirements at our website http://london.usembassy.gov/nireland/nivisa.html prior to EACH trip.

They may also find the additional information on the following sites helpful regarding requirements for travel under the Visa Waiver Program: http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/id_visa/vwp/vwp_timeline.ctt/vwp_timeline.pdf [PDF] and http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html.

Alternatively, they can request an up-to-date information leaflet on visa-free travel by emailing consularbelfast@state.gov

U.S Department of State Foreign Service Written Exam

We are pleased to inform you that registration for the April 8, 2006 Foreign Service Written Exam is now open. Please visit the http://careers.state.gov website and click on "Foreign Service Officer" to learn more about the FSWE, order a Study Guide, or get information on how to prepare for the exam. The deadline for registrations for overseas test sites (Belfast included!) is before 5:00pm, Central Time on March 1, 2006.

Holiday Closure Days

The Consulate will closed on:

Monday, February 20th, 2006 - President's Day
Friday, March 17th, 2006 - St. Patrick's Day

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