Subject:  American Community Security Update - July 2003

Welcome to the July newsletter!  Here are the topics for this month:

     --  Security Situation
     --  Upcoming Holidays
     --  Advance Payment of the Additional Child Tax Credit
     --  Earthquake Survival Manual
     --  Thai Security Information
     --  A Summer Wedding
     --  Purse Theft from Hotel Business Center
     --  SARS Updates
     --  Travel Advice for Korea
     --  Information for Japanese Traveling to the U.S.
     --  Visa News for Non-American Citizens
     --  Unsubscribing from this List

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Security Situation
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The security situation in Japan remains the same with no new threat information other than the April 21, 2003 Worldwide Caution Public Announcement we distributed via this channel (you can always read the most current information at http://travel.state.gov).

On May 30, The Department of Homeland Security lowered the homeland security threat level to Yellow (Elevated) from Orange (High).  Further information about the announcement may be obtained at the DHS Internet website at www.dhs.gov or www.ready.gov.

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Upcoming Holidays
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The Embassy will be closed on July 4 for American Independence Day and on July 20 for Japanese Marine Day.  A full list of all of our holiday closings for 2003 is online at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhholidays.html

As a reminder, workdays just before and just after a holiday are usually very busy times, so if you do come in to see us then your wait will likely be longer than on other days.  Monday mornings, Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons are our busiest times.  Visit us outside of those times and you should have a shorter wait.

If you do come to see us at the Embassy, note that we have two lines to enter the building once you pass the initial security check; a (usually) longer line for visa applicants and a much shorter line for customers coming for American Citizen Services help.

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Advance Payment of the Additional Child Tax Credit
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Taxpayers who claimed a child tax credit on their 2002 tax return may receive an advance payment of the additional child tax credit provided for in the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.  Taxpayers do not need to contact the IRS.  If you qualify, the IRS will figure the advance payment and automatically send any amount due beginning sometime in late July or early August.  

The Treasury Department will begin mailing checks for the advance payment on July 25, with most checks out by August 8.  These will cover eligible taxpayers who filed their 2002 tax returns by April 15.  As the IRS processes returns from taxpayers who filed after that date, it will schedule advance payments on a weekly basis.  No check will be sent after December.  

For the first three weeks, the checks will be sent according to the last two digits of the primary taxpayer's social security number:  00 - 33, mailed July 25;  34 - 66, mailed August 1; 67 - 99, mailed August 8.  Eligible taxpayers whose returns were not processed in time for these initial mailing dates will have their checks sent out after the IRS processes their returns.

If taxpayers have moved since filing their 2002 return, they should make sure the post office has their new address.  Taxpayers should also update their address with the IRS by completing Form 8822.  Form 8822 can be downloaded from the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov.  Form 8822 can be provided to the IRS office in the American Embassy - Tokyo, 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 or mailed to the Philadelphia Service Center, Philadelphia, PA 19255.

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Earthquake Survival Manual
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Though a bit distracting in parts ("Pack cloth tape... for the arrangement of the baggage"), most of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's bilingual Earthquake Survival Manual is very useful.

Of particular value are bilingual sections on calling for help, communicating with emergency medical staff and phrases useful for locating food, water and shelter.  In the aftermath of the 1995 Hanshin earthquake many Americans who could not speak Japanese had a difficult time seeking assistance.  Sustainment assistance, such a water and shelter, will come from the Government of Japan for all residents in a disaster area equally- -there will be no special accommodations for foreigners and the Embassy will not be able to provide special facilities or general evacuation for 60,000 Americans in the Tokyo metro area.

You can read the full Earthquake Survival Manual online at http://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.jp/index3files/survivalmanual.pdf.  For easier reading, we suggest you first download the entire three meg PDF file, or print it out.

We also have advice on how to prepare for an earthquake on our web site at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhacs-7111.html

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Thai Security Information
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The American Embassy in Bangkok recently sent this message out via its email newsletter.  To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, please visit http://usa.or.th/embassy/acs.htm

If you have been reading the newspapers or watching TV over the last two weeks, you are probably wondering what exactly is going on in Thailand concerning terrorism and how it relates to Americans residing here.  You have most likely seen the story about the three men arrested in southern Thailand for plotting attacks against several embassies and soft targets in Thailand, and the more recent arrest involving a person selling material for possible use in a "dirty bomb".  

While information like this can be unsettling to some, investigations and arrests in such matters are ongoing worldwide.  We have seen arrests in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, the United States and many other places around the world.  Plots have been reported in various regions, and facilities worldwide have been at a heightened state of alert for months. Southeast Asia and Thailand are not immune from terrorism, and the events of the past two weeks have shown that to be the case.

The good news is that the Thai authorities are very active in pursuing matters related to terrorism, and the U.S. Embassy has a close working relationship with them.  If credible information is developed concerning threats involving American citizens or American interests, we will provide you with as much information as we can, offer appropriate guidance and work with the Thai authorities to make sure they are taking all possible steps to counter the threat.  

While we will continue to work closely with the Thai authorities with regard to the safety of the American community, we urge you to remain proactive in your personal security practices.  You should remain vigilant and prepared.  Consider holding emergency drills for your family or business and report suspicious persons and incidents to the police immediately.  If you haven't already done so, review the State Department's Travel Advisories, including the Consular Information Sheet for Thailand.  Take the information seriously, and make sure your family members are aware of the information as well.

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A Summer Wedding
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What would summer be without a wedding to attend?  If you are an American and planning to marry in Japan, whether to another foreigner or to a Japanese person, congratulations!  

The process is straightforward.  With some planning, most people can complete all the things needed to get married in less than one day.  Everything you need to know (other than how to choose the right partner) is on our web site, including the forms the Americans need.  Visit us at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhacs-7114.html.  Our site also has information on the green card/immigrant visa your foreign spouse will need to live in the U.S., and some links to information for people planning to marry while in the U.S.

Here are a few frequently asked questions about marriage.

Q:  Can I get married at the Embassy?

A:  Marriage in Japan consists of a civil marriage registration by the couple at a Japanese municipal government office.  Only this civil registration constitutes a legal marriage in Japan.  Ceremonies performed by religious organizations in Japan, while perhaps more meaningful, are not legal marriages.  Consular officers unfortunately cannot perform marriages so you can't get married at the Embassy.  Learn more at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7114a.html

Q:  No really, I think I got married at the Embassy years ago.  Do you have a record of my marriage?

A:  The Embassy keeps no files of Japanese civil documents, such as records of marriages and divorces in Japan.  These records are held by the Japanese government.  Other records, such as birth certificates for people born in the U.S., are stored in their state of origin.

A "Certificate of Witness to Marriage" used to be issued by an American embassy or consulate reflecting the facts of a marriage abroad in which at least one party is an American Citizen. A consular officer must have attended the ceremony.  This accommodation was discontinued in 1987.  Records are kept in Washington, not in Tokyo.  You can learn more about obtaining various records at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh7114c.html

Q: If I get married in Japan, am I also married in the U.S.?

A:  Yes.  Your legal marriage in Japan also makes you married in the U.S. automatically.  You don't have to do anything special.  No registration of your legal marriage abroad is required by the U.S. Government, and your Japanese partner need not come to the Embassy.

Q:  Why does the Embassy make me fill out forms to get married in Japan?

A:  The one-page form (see http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwf7114.pdf) is required by Japanese law, and are not a requirement of the Embassy or the U.S. Government.  We're just trying to help you satisfy the local legal requirements.

Q: Nobody likes to think about divorce in Japan at a happy time like this but...

A:  We do have information on divorce available at http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhacs-7117.html

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Purse Theft from Hotel Business Center
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An American Citizen was recently the victim of theft.  While working in the business center of a major hotel in central Tokyo, her purse was stolen by what she later was told by hotel security was a group of three professional thieves.  The thieves, all dressed in suits, pulled the purse out from under her work station and made off with her cash.  Luckily, the purse was later found in a parking lot and returned to her with most everything else still inside.

Police tell us that in most instances of pick pocketing and purse snatching, the thief is primarily interested in cash.  If you are victimized, be sure to search the trash cans and bushes in the immediate area of the theft.  Often you may recover at least some of your stolen items.

Be certain to report the loss or theft of your U.S. passport immediately to the U.S. Embassy or nearest Consulate.  Call 03-3224-5000.

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SARS Updates
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On May 31 the World Health Organization (WHO) removed Singapore from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS.  As noted in a May 30 WHO announcement, the change in status comes twenty days after the last locally acquired case was placed in isolation, on May 11.  The WHO announcement quotes Dr. David Heymann, Executive Director, Communicable Disease Programs, as stating: "From the start, Singapore's handling of its SARS outbreak has been exemplary.  This is an inspiring victory that should make us all optimistic that SARS can be contained everywhere."  The WHO announcement can be found at http://www.who.int/csr/don/2003(underscore)5(underscore)30a/en/

On June 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it was downgrading the traveler notification for Hong Kong from a travel advisory to a travel alert.  While a travel advisory recommends that nonessential travel be deferred, a travel alert does not advise against travel but informs travelers of a health concern and advises about specific precautions.  For more information, visit www.cdc.gov.  The American Consulate General in Hong Kong provides security and other information of general interest to U.S. citizens in Hong Kong and Macau in its American Citizens Services Monthly Newsletter.  To subscribe, please register online at http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov.

On June 11, 2003, the Department of State canceled the Travel Warning for Hong Kong issued on April 16, 2003 because of the improved SARS situation.  The Department of State authorized the return to Hong Kong of U.S. Government employees and their families who chose to leave due to the outbreak of SARS.  

On June 17 the World Health Organization lifted its SARS advisory against travel to Taiwan.  The recommendation that people should postpone all but essential travel to Taiwan was removed, nearly a month after it was imposed. 

On June 23 the World Health Organization removed Hong Kong from its list of SARS-affected areas.

On June 24 the World Health Organization lifted the SARS travel advisory for Beijing.

The lifting of Beijing's travel advisories means there are now no WHO travel advisories for SARS anywhere in the world.

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Travel Advice for Korea
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The American Embassy in Seoul recently issued the following advice:

Political, labor, and student demonstrations and marches in Korea can become confrontational and/or violent.  American citizens in the Republic of Korea can minimize personal risks to themselves and their property by exercising caution and avoiding areas in which demonstrations are being held, as well as by avoiding confrontation with protestors.

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul will continue to keep the U.S. community informed of any changes in the overall security situation.  To hear a recording of the most up-to-date security information affecting U.S. citizens in Korea, please call 82-2-397-4114 and press the following series of numbers:  1, 1, 1, 7.  In addition, notices concerning security matters will also be broadcast on AFKN television and radio within Korea.  The Embassy encourages all U.S. citizens to register their presence in Korea with the American Citizens Services office at the U.S. Embassy or via the Internet at http://www.usembassy.state.gov/seoul or http://www.asktheconsul.org/. 

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Information for Japanese Traveling to the U.S.
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This news does not affect American passport holders, but since many Americans travel with Japanese spouses or friends to the U.S. for short trips, we wanted to include it here.

Beginning October 1, 2003, all citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which includes Japan, who wish to enter the U.S. visa-free must present a machine-readable passport (MRP). VWP nationals who do not have MRPs must obtain a U.S. non-immigrant visa, such as a standard tourist visa.  MRPs have the biographic data encoded at the bottom of the page with the photo as a series of letters and numbers, such as P<USASMITH<BILLIE<THEKID<<<<< <<<<78798712USA90890M90809<<<<<<<<

If a Japanese traveler has an older style passport that is not machine readable, s/he must apply for a new MRP from the Japanese Government before traveling to the U.S. without a visa after October 1. 

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Visa News for Non-American Citizens
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This information pertains only to non-American Citizens who need visas, such as students or temporary workers, traveling to the U.S.  This does not affect those, such as most Japanese tourists, who can use the Visa Waiver ("visa free") Program.

As part of the Department of State's continuing efforts to improve the security of the visa process, the rules governing when a personal appearance and interview of a visa applicant can be waived have been tightened up.  As of August 1 most applicants for U.S. visas around the world will be required to apply in person and be interviewed.

While these new rules may sometimes cause inconvenience and delay, we remain committed to facilitating the travel of bona fide applicants.  Over the coming months our Consular Section will make every effort to ease the transition to the new system and ensure that travelers can obtain visas without excessive delay.  Please be sure to check our web site and read our press releases over the next few weeks to obtain information about exactly how the new rules will be implemented.

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Unsubscribing from this List
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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, please write from the same email address you used to subscribe, and send a blank email to:

          leave-tokyoacs@mh.databack.com