Bureau of Consular Affairs
Encyclopedia
The Bureau of Consular Affairs is a bureau of the United States Department of State
within that department's management office. The mission of the Bureau is to administer laws, formulate regulations and implement policies relating to the broad range of consular services
and immigration
. , the bureau is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
, Janice L. Jacobs
.
citizens is the responsibility of the Bureau. According to an official speech in May 2009, approximately 91 million Americans have valid US passports.
For fiscal year 2008, 16 million passport applications were processed by the bureau's staff of 11,000. New passport requirements which went into effect in January 2007, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
went into effect, have increased estimated demand to 17 million in 2007, adding months of delay to processing applications.
June 1, 2009 all American travelers entering the United States at land borders or sea ports of entry will be required to show proof of citizenship. The new passport card is a cheaper alternative to comply with such regulations.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services is Brenda S. Sprague.
Passports may be issued domestically in the US as well as by US Embassies or Consulates abroad to the US Citizens. In 2006, the Bureau of Consular Affairs began the widespread issuance of Electronic Passports or "e-passports."
To assist the traveling public, the bureau issues country specific information, travel warnings, and travel alerts concerning conditions in countries where Americans may be planning to visit or reside.
. (Over 7.75 million non-immigrant visa and approximately 744,000 immigrant visa cases were processed in fiscal year 2006.)
The Bureau of Consular Affairs also administers the provisions of the INA as they relate to the Department of State in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
within the Department of Homeland Security. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services is David T. Donahue.
and international adoption issues. In this respect, it is the US Central Authority
under the terms of the Hague Abduction Convention and the Hague Adoption Convention.
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
within that department's management office. The mission of the Bureau is to administer laws, formulate regulations and implement policies relating to the broad range of consular services
Consular assistance
Consular assistance is help and advice provided by the diplomatic agents of a country to citizens of that country who are living or traveling overseas.Such assistance may take the form of:* provision of replacement travel documents...
and immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
. , the bureau is headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs is the head of the Bureau of Consular Affairs within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs reports to the Under Secretary of State for Management...
, Janice L. Jacobs
Janice L. Jacobs
Janice Lee Jacobs is a United States career diplomat who was United States Ambassador to Senegal and United States Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau in 2006 and 2007 and who is the current Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, having held that office since June 2008.-Biography:Janice L....
.
Passports
Issuance of U.S. Passports to AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens is the responsibility of the Bureau. According to an official speech in May 2009, approximately 91 million Americans have valid US passports.
For fiscal year 2008, 16 million passport applications were processed by the bureau's staff of 11,000. New passport requirements which went into effect in January 2007, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a law of the United States that requires all travelers to show a valid passport or other approved secure document when traveling to the U.S. from areas within the Western Hemisphere. The purpose, according to the U.S. Department of State and U.S...
went into effect, have increased estimated demand to 17 million in 2007, adding months of delay to processing applications.
June 1, 2009 all American travelers entering the United States at land borders or sea ports of entry will be required to show proof of citizenship. The new passport card is a cheaper alternative to comply with such regulations.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services is Brenda S. Sprague.
Passports may be issued domestically in the US as well as by US Embassies or Consulates abroad to the US Citizens. In 2006, the Bureau of Consular Affairs began the widespread issuance of Electronic Passports or "e-passports."
Citizen support
The Consular Affairs Office of Overseas Citizens Services advises and supports U.S. citizens and U.S. embassies and consulates around the world in such matters as:- Deaths
- ArrestArrestAn arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
s - RobberiesRobberyRobbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
- Citizenship and nationality (including both acquisition of citizenship through naturalizationNaturalizationNaturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
and the Child Citizenship Act of 2000Child Citizenship Act of 2000The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 is a United States federal law that allows certain foreign-born, biological and adopted children of United States citizens to acquire United States citizenship automatically. These children did not acquire U.S. citizenship at birth, but they are granted citizenship...
and renunciation of citizenshipRenunciation of citizenshipRenunciation is a voluntary act of relinquishing one's citizenship . It is the opposite of naturalization whereby a person voluntarily acquires a citizenship, and related to denaturalization where the loss of citizenship is not voluntary, but forced by a state.-Historic practices:The old common law...
) - Federal benefits
- NotarizationNotary publicA notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
of documentDocumentThe term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
s - International child abductionInternational child abductionThe term international child abduction is generally synonymous with international parental kidnapping, child snatching, and child stealing. However, the more precise legal usage of international child abduction originates in private international law and refers to the illegal removal of children...
- International adoptionInternational adoptionInternational adoption is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a child that is a national of a different country...
s
To assist the traveling public, the bureau issues country specific information, travel warnings, and travel alerts concerning conditions in countries where Americans may be planning to visit or reside.
Visas and immigration
Following regulations established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), consular officers overseas, under the guidance of the Bureau's Office of Visa Services, are responsible for issuing all non-immigrant and immigrant visasVisa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
. (Over 7.75 million non-immigrant visa and approximately 744,000 immigrant visa cases were processed in fiscal year 2006.)
The Bureau of Consular Affairs also administers the provisions of the INA as they relate to the Department of State in coordination with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
within the Department of Homeland Security. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services is David T. Donahue.
International child abduction and adoption
The Office of Children's Issues creates, develops and coordinates policies and programs on international child abductionInternational child abduction
The term international child abduction is generally synonymous with international parental kidnapping, child snatching, and child stealing. However, the more precise legal usage of international child abduction originates in private international law and refers to the illegal removal of children...
and international adoption issues. In this respect, it is the US Central Authority
Central Authority
A Central Authority is an agency or organization that is designated to play a key facilitating role in the implementation and operation of an international treaty in private international law....
under the terms of the Hague Abduction Convention and the Hague Adoption Convention.
External links
- Travel.state.gov, the Bureau of Consular Affairs website