Does anyone know if or when the US Consulate from Cheng Du will schedule a visit to Kunming. I have sent an email to them but I was hoping that someone here might have some information just in case they are slow in answering emails.
Thanks
it's usually every few months that they come, but it's kind of unpredictable. If you register with the consulate you will receive their updates and will get advance notice when they do come. But i don't think that they are coming any time soon.
So the US Consulate is coming to town on Wednesday, February 29th. No matter what beef you may have with the consulate, they deserve some credit for coming out here to deal with us in Kunming. If you need additional passport pages, passport renewal or other services, this will save you all sorts of trouble and travel. Their announcement is below...
The United States Consulate in Chengdu will send a consular officer to Kunming on Wednesday, February 29th. American citizens in Kunming can meet with the Consular officer for routine American Citizen Services.
Please email AmCitChengdu@state.gov for the time and location of services. Please include what service you will need.
Limited American Citizen Services:
The consular officer will be able to perform a number of limited American Citizen Services. For some of these services, your materials may have to be brought to Chengdu for processing. If this is the case, they can be returned to you via the local Chinese EMS mailing service. However, mailing through EMS is done at your own risk, as we cannot guarantee EMS service. Alternatively, you can come to pick up your documents at the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu during regularly scheduled ACS hours.
Please note the consular officer will have no change available, so exact change is required.
A small number of required forms will be available, but it is suggested that you download, print, and fill out any required forms yourself. These are all available on our website: chengdu.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html. Please also check the website for the required documents you must bring. There is no photocopier available.
Available American citizen services will be limited to the following:
• Passport applications and renewals
• Passport add pages
• Certificates of Marriageability
• Notarial Services
Further information on all the services above can be found on our website: chengdu.usembassy-china.org.cn/service.html.
If you have any questions, please contact the Consular section at AmCitChengdu@state.gov.
Best Regards,
Chengdu Consular Section
Thanks for spreading the word on this Colin. I had missed their last visit in November, and was forced to goto Chengdu just for a day for notarial services. I found them to be pleasant and quite helpful.
Is anyone aware of voting requirements for US citizens in the 2012 election? I was told that Americans had to process through the Chengdu consulate, but I'm not sure if I can go about that while still in Kunming, or if I have to go to Sichuan. Let me know if you know.
cheers~
I believe that every state has different rules for voting abroad, so you should check with your state department. Which state are you from? Maybe someone via this forum will be able to answer your questions.
You can forget about the Consular service in Kunming on Feb 29. This is the response I got
Thank you for your interest in our Kunming American Citizen Service hours. Unfortunately, due to high demand, we are unable to accommodate further requests for service at this time.
So much for Consular Service
Howard Graham
@hgraham
I guess Colin forgot to mention US citizens should schedule appointments as the consulate retinue usually only pop out for day trips, so they don't have to overnite in hotels - budget constraints - which are exceptionally troublesome this year.
Instead of email - try calling them - if it's trivial, you can schedule a drop-in/drive-by in between appts or drop off your application pkg - save at least the KM-CD EMS fee(s).
@colin
Ok, I'll refrain from my usual verbose sarcasm - not really the consulate's fault - it's chronic, systemic, and endemic within our government. HOWEVER (can't resist) if y'all want to know why our government services are ... limited - here's where some of our tax dollars go as of 2011-Jan, assuming forbes.com is a semi-reliable source - and please don't complain to the consulate folks - they have absolutely no control - their budget is controlled by the US State Dept, so please nag the outgoing SoS Hilary Clinton, while the sun shines.
@JJ
Your turn...
For sunjiangyu
You can use this link to do voter registration for overseas americans
www.fvap.gov/ if I understood your question right. This is how you register and get the absentee ballot mailed to you.
I did it a month ago and it works for any state but you do have to sign the form you do online and then either mail it in or fax it I think.
voting information i received from the consulate is...
2012 ELECTION CYCLE HAS BEGUN!
2012 is a U.S. presidential election year and now is the time to start participating. Be an active voter.
You must start by completing your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) — the form you need to complete this year to participate in the 2012 elections as an overseas absentee voter. Our purpose is to inform and educate you about your voting rights, to ensure you are able to exercise your right to participate in elections for federal offices (President, Vice President, Senator, and Representative), and to assist you with voting in state or local elections, if allowed by your state. The Consular Section staff at U.S. Consulate General Chengdu is ready to assist you should you have questions.
New absentee voting laws are in effect for the 2012 elections. You will no longer automatically receive ballots based on a previous absentee ballot request. All U.S. citizens outside the United States who want to vote by absentee ballot in the 2012 primary and general elections must complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year if they wish to vote from abroad. States are now required to send out ballots 45 days before an election. No matter what state you vote in, you can now ask your local election officials to provide your blank ballots to you electronically (by email, internet download, or fax, depending on your state). You can now also confirm your registration and ballot delivery on-line. Be sure to include your email address on the form to take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery option. This is the fastest and most reliable way to receive your ballot on time, and we strongly recommend every overseas voter take advantage of it. Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP) website www.FVAP.gov.
Voter registration deadlines for primaries are as early as January 3, 2012. Note: Participation in party presidential caucuses by overseas voters is not protected by federal law and requires in-person attendance in most cases. If the party you are affiliated with selects presidential nominees by caucus in your state contact state party officials for further information.
You can obtain a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) at FVAP’s website. The FPCA is accepted by all local election officials in all U.S. states and territories. It allows you to register to vote and request absentee ballots for all elections for federal offices (presidential and state primaries, run-off, special, and the November general elections) during the course of the year. An online wizard will help you complete the form. Depending on your state’s voting requirements, you then either send in the FPCA electronically or mail it to your local election officials. To mail it, print out the completed FPCA and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing the address of your local election officials. If you bring in your forms or ballots to us we will mail them back home for you without you having to pay for international mail. If it’s easier for you to use China’s postal system, be sure to affix sufficient postage and allow sufficient time for international mail delivery.
Even if your state does not have a presidential primary in the early months of 2012, it is important that you submit a new Federal Post Card Application this and every January to receive all absentee ballots for which you are eligible. By applying early, you also allow enough time for election officials to contact you and resolve any questions or problems with your registration/ballot request.
Remember that your vote counts, and that many U.S. elections within the past ten years have been decided by a margin of victory of less than 0.1%. All states are required to count every absentee ballot as long as it's valid and reaches local election officials by the absentee ballot receipt deadline.
Be an Educated Voter. Check out the FVAP links page for helpful resources that will aid your research of candidates and issues. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues are widely available and easy to obtain via numerous websites such as Project Smart Voter. You can also read national and hometown newspapers on-line, or search the Internet to locate articles and information. For information about election dates and deadlines, subscribe to FVAP's Voting Alerts (vote@fvap.gov). FVAP also shares Voting Alerts via Facebook and Twitter.
