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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22624-22625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11182]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 6612]

Notice of Request for Public Comments; 30-Day Notice of Proposed 
Information Collection: DS-261, Electronic Choice of the Address and 
Agent, OMB Control Number 1405-XXXX

ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and submission to OMB of 
proposed collection of information.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State has submitted the following 
information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.
     Title of Information Collection: Electronic Choice of 
Address and Agent
     OMB Control Number: None
     Type of Request: New Collection
     Originating Office: Department of State, Bureau of 
Consular Affairs
     Form Number: DS-261
     Respondents: Aliens applying for immigrant visas
     Estimated Number of Respondents: 700,000
     Estimated Number of Responses: 700,000
     Average Hours per Response: 10 minutes
     Total Estimated Burden: 166,666 hrs. per year
     Frequency: Once per respondent
     Obligation to Respond: Required to Obtain or Retain 
Benefit

DATES: Submit comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) up 
to June 12, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct comments and questions to Katherine Astrich, the 
Department of State Desk Officer in the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), who 
may be reached at 202-395-4718. You may submit comments by any of the 
following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]. You must include the DS form 
number, information collection title, and OMB control number in the 
subject line of your message.
     Mail (paper, disk, or CD-ROM submissions): Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of

[[Page 22625]]

Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
     Fax: 202-395-6974

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: You may obtain copies of the proposed 
information collection and supporting documents from Andrea B. Lage, 
Visa Services, U.S. Department of State, 2401 E Street, NW., L-603, 
Washington, DC, 20522, who may be reached at (202) 663-1399.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department to:
     Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary to properly perform our functions.
     Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection, including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used.
     Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected.
     Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to respond.

Abstract of Proposed Collection

    The DS-261 allows the beneficiary of an approved and current 
immigrant visa petition to provide the Department with his or her 
current address, which will be used for communications with the 
beneficiary. The DS-261 also allows the beneficiary to appoint an agent 
to receive mailings from the National Visa Center (NVC) and assist in 
the filing of various application forms and/or paying the required 
fees. The beneficiary is not required to appoint an agent but must 
provide current contact information. All cases will be held at NVC 
until the DS-261 is electronically submitted to the Department. If the 
form is not electronically submitted to the Department within one year, 
NVC will begin the case termination process.

Methodology

    The DS-261 will be submitted electronically to the Department via 
the internet. Respondents who submit the electronic form will no longer 
submit paper-based forms to the Department.

     Dated: April 29, 2009.
David T. Donahue,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of 
State.
[FR Doc. E9-11182 Filed 5-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-P
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