Subject: American Community Update - September 2004 Welcome to the September newsletter! Here are the topics for this month: -- Security Situation -- Upcoming Holidays -- Typhoon Tips -- Extension of Requirement for Biometric Passport Issuance -- Minors Must Apply in Person for U.S. Passports -- Helpful Hints For Voters -- Unsubscribing --------------------------------------------------------- Security Situation --------------------------------------------------------- The security situation in Japan remains the same with no new credible threat information; however the Government of Japan has taken heightened security measures at key facilities and ports of entry, as counter terrorism precautions linked to the increased role taken with preliminary deployment of Japanese self defense forces to Iraq. The April 29, 2004 Worldwide Caution Public Announcement we distributed via this channel remains in effect (you can always read the most current information at http://travel.state.gov). --------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Holidays --------------------------------------------------------- The Embassy and our Consulates will close for- -- U.S. Labor Day on September 6 (Monday). -- Japan's Respect for the Aged Day on September 20 (Monday) -- U.S. Columbus Day, October 11 (Monday) Please remember that the days just before and just after a holiday are usually exceptionally busy and you can expect significantly longer waiting times. Visit us outside of these times and you should have a shorter wait. A full list of all of our holiday closings for 2004 is online at http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-holidays.html. If you do come to see us at the Embassy in Tokyo, note that we have two lines to enter the building; a (usually) longer line for visa applicants and a much shorter line for customers coming for American Citizen Services help. -------------------------------------------------------- Typhoon Tips -------------------------------------------------------- Being prepared for a typhoon means keeping informed on the progress and severity of the storm, and taking some common-sense precautions to minimize the problems a typhoon may cause for you. Typhoons 101 Typhoons are giant whirlwinds. These storms, accompanied by heavy rainfall, can cover areas of up to 500 miles in diameter and generate winds up to 180 miles an hour. The typhoon season in Japan runs from May through October, with most activity from July to September. Typhoons that hit Japan are often accompanied by damaging high tides. Persons living in areas close to the ocean are especially at risk. Landslides are also a serious concern during periods of heavy rain. Conditions for a landslide are particularly dangerous after rain has fallen at a rate of 20mm or more an hour or when 100 mm of rain falls nonstop. Keeping Informed Weather watches (chuiho) are calls for "caution" when it has been predicted that damage may occur as a result of winds and rain brought about by bad weather. Warnings (keiho), which are much stronger than watches (chuiho), are released when forecasters predict that a storm will cause heavy widespread damage. When accompanied by an approaching typhoon, "heavy rain and flooding warnings" (oame-kozui keiho) or "heavy rain information" (oame ni kansuru joho) are also signs that dangerous weather conditions are present. For English-language information in many parts of the Kanto area, listen to Inter-FM at 76.1, Yokohama FM at 84.7 or the US military radio station at AM 810. In Fukuoka, Love FM 76.1 MHz. English-language radio information may not be available in all areas; check local listings. Television: If your TV is equipped to receive dual-language broadcasts, NHK news at 7 pm includes detailed weather information. http://www.npmoc.navy.mil is the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, with good satellite weather maps available online. http://www.tbs.co.jp/weather has online radar images and lots of information in English. They also have a special typhoon page. Weather information online is also available at a number of sites, including http://www.cnn.com. Type the term "japan weather" into your favorite search engine, such as http://www.google.com. Telephone: Recorded information is available from the US Air Force base at Yokota by dialing 0425-52-2511, listening to a brief recording, waiting for a separate dial tone and then dialing 5-4181. Recorded information is also available from the US Naval base at Yokosuka by dialing 0468-21-1910, and dialing extension 243-5155. Recorded information in Japanese is available by dialing 177. NHK news at AM 693 is another Japanese language resource. Take Precautions Secure or move inside outdoor items such as toys, grills, bicycles, furniture, plants and anything moveable on the balcony. Move potted plants and other heavy objects away from windows inside as well. Set your freezer to the coldest temperature setting to minimize spoilage if the power is cut off. Watch for leaks around windows and doors. If the wind is strong enough, water may be blown into your home even if the windows are closed. Have handy towels, rags and mops. If the storm becomes severe, move into a hallway or area where there is the least exposure to external glass windows. Draw curtains across the windows to prevent against flying glass should windows crack. If a window breaks, place a mattress or sofa seat over the broken pane and secure it there with a heavy piece of furniture. A window on the side of the house away from the approaching storm should be cracked a few inches. This will compensate for the differences of indoor and outdoor air pressure. Remember that typhoons have "eyes", areas in their center where the weather appears calm. If the eye passes over your area, it may appear that the storm has finished, with winds then picking up again as the remainder of the storm arrives. After the storm is over, check for broken glass, fallen trees and downed power lines which may present safety hazards near children's school bus stops, outdoor trash areas, around your car, etc. -------------------------------------------------------- Extension of Requirement for Biometric Passport Issuance by Visa Waiver Program Countries -------------------------------------------------------- This information concerns non-American Citizens traveling to the U.S. without visas, as the majority of Japanese do for short business or pleasure trips. Almost all of these travelers will not need new passports after October. The travelers will need to make sure they have machine-readable passports (almost all Japanese passports are machine readable already) and will require two digital index finger scans and a digital photograph from the traveler to verify his or her identity to be done at the airport upon arrival in the US. President Bush signed H.R. 4417 to extend by one year, the requirement for Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries to include biometrics in passports. H.R. 4417 was passed by the House of Representatives on June 14, 2004, and by the Senate on July 22, 2004. The requirement for Visa Waiver travelers to have biometrics included in passports was mandated in the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. The passage of H.R. 4417 and the signing by the President extends for one year, to October 26, 2005, the deadline by which new passports issued must be biometrically enabled. This extension was necessary to avoid potential disruption of international travel and provide the international community adequate time to develop viable programs for producing a more secure, biometrically enabled passport. The original legislation required that Visa Waiver Program country passports issued on or after October 26, 2004 be biometrically enabled for use in Visa Waiver travel. To mitigate security concerns related to this extension, the Department of Homeland Security will begin enrolling Visa Waiver Program travelers through the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program at all airports and seaports on or about September 30, 2004. Enrollment in US-VISIT allows the United States to continue international efforts to enhance border security while facilitating legitimate travel. The US-VISIT system is a fast and easy process that requires two digital index finger scans and a digital photograph from a traveler to verify his or her identity. Another requirement for Visa Waiver Program travel will still come into effect on October 26, 2004. On and after that date, all passports used for travel in the Visa Waiver Program must be machine-readable. Last year, the Secretary of State granted a postponement from October 1, 2003, until October 26, 2004, as the date by which Visa Waiver Program travelers from 22 countries must present a machine-readable passport to be admitted to the United States without a visa. Four eligible countries did not request a postponement of the effective date. Belgium was not eligible to request a waiver. Although the addition of biometrics to the U.S. passport is not covered by the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, the Department of State has been working diligently towards developing U.S. biometric passports. The United States recognizes the benefits of biometric identity verification and strives to remain at the forefront of international travel document security. By the end of 2005, all domestically produced U.S. passports will be biometric passports. -------------------------------------------------------- Minors Must Apply in Person for U.S. Passports -------------------------------------------------------- Be sure to plan ahead for your summer travel needs. Remember that processing time for U.S. passports is two to three weeks, as all printing is now done in the U.S. While most adults can renew by mail, almost all minors must apply in person. The rules on how to apply for a U.S. passport have changed, requiring more people to apply in person and allowing fewer people to apply by mail. Under the new rules, only adults who were issued a ten year passport on or after their 16th birthday may apply for a renewal passport by mail. All others must appear in person. This change is effective worldwide and is not specific to Japan. Full details, including downloadable application forms, are available at http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7130c.html. To find out which of our offices serves your part of Japan (along with directions and our opening hours), please visit http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-7123.html. --------------------------------------------------- Help For Voters --------------------------------------------------- Voter Registration Unregistered absentee voters should request their ballots at least 60 days before the election and registered voters at least 45 days before the election. Remember, voter registration can be affected or cancelled for several reasons: not voting for a period of time, changed residence since the last registration or election, changed name since the last registration or election, or changing political party preference (primary elections only) since the last registration. Also, registering to vote at a new place of legal residence will cancel your registration at your previous residence and might cause you to incur state or local tax liabilities. Legal Voting Residence Your legal voting residence address (item 3 of the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) SF 76) helps determine the type of ballot a local election official sends to you. So, even if the home has been sold, rented or is no longer there because the site has been redeveloped, that address continues to be your legal voting residence for voting purposes as long as you continue claiming that state as your legal residence. Determining a voting residence is a concern to many. Some citizens do not know where they should be voting and what state they should claim as their home of legal voting residence. The FVAP website at http://www.fvap.gov provides downloadable Guidelines For Members Of The Uniformed Services And Family Members and Guidelines for Citizens Residing Outside the United States. Select I Want to Vote from the FVAP home page, then select Residency Guidelines. These are only general guidelines to help determine state of legal residence for voting purposes. Notarizing Voting Materials Always check your state instructions to determine whether your state requires a witness or notary on the FPCA and/or the ballot return envelope. The Embassy or our Consulates will provide notary services for voting materials free of charge. Where To Send It Did you know that if you send your FPCA or the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to the wrong local election official, it may use up precious time needed to get your application or ballot delivered and may affect the chances of your vote being received on time to be counted? For example, if you send your FPCA to the County Clerk and the state requires you to send it to the Registrar of Voters your FPCA may take more time to be delivered as it is forwarded to the correct office. This may cause a delay in getting your FPCA processed by the local election office. Similarly, if you are an overseas voter and you use the FWAB and mail it to the wrong office other than the one instructed to you by the state, your FWAB may need to be forwarded and may not arrive on the time required by state law to be counted. Each state has its own specific office for receiving absentee voting materials. Postage for Mailing From Overseas The FPCA does not require postage for voting materials if mailed in the U.S. postal system, including all U.S. military post offices (APO, FPO) overseas as well as diplomatic pouches. Many Embassies and Consulates have access to U.S. military post offices. Those that have access will accept the FPCA and give it to the U.S. military post office. The FPCA may also be sent postage-free through the diplomatic pouch at Embassies and Consulates. If you are mailing election materials from overseas and do not have access to a U.S. Embassy/Consulate or an APO/FPO address, please affix the proper postage necessary to get the materials into the U.S. postal system. NOTE: If using the online FPCA (OFPCA), you must place it in an envelope and apply proper postage. The OFPCA is available at http://www.fvap.gov>. Select On-line Federal Post Card Application. Electronic Transmission Visit http://www.fvap.gov, select State By State Instructions, and find out if your state allows electronic transmission of voting materials. If so, use this method to expedite processing of your voting materials. Most states that permit faxing of the voted ballot require the voter to sign a waiver of his or her right of a secret ballot. After faxing, immediately mail the original signed and dated hardcopy. International toll-free fax numbers are listed on the FVAP website. From the FVAP home page, select Electronic Transmission (faxing) for a list of toll-free fax numbers from over 50 countries. Tax Implications The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) provides that exercising the right to vote, in elections for Federal offices, under the Act should not affect, for purposes of any Federal, state or local tax, the residence or domicile of a person exercising such right. Voting in an election for Federal offices only may not be used as the sole basis to determine residency for the purposes of imposing state and local taxes. If you claim a particular state as your residence and have other ties with that state in addition to voting, then you may be liable for state and local taxation, depending upon that particular state law. Always seek legal advise when contemplating changing your residency. The Final Say in Determining Eligibility The Federal Government does not hold elections, the state does. Each of the States and U.S. Territories has its own law for holding elections. The local election official makes the final determination of a voter's eligibility to register and vote in that county, city or state. Status of Your Application To reduce the possibility of being left with the uncertainty of the status of your FPCA, FVAP recommends that you provide your contact information when completing the FPCA. In the Remarks Section (item 7) of the FPCA, provide your telephone number (or a local contact) with all country prefixes and/or your e-mail address. Email is increasingly becoming the preferred method of communication. Also, in the remarks section, add other information that may assist local election officials in processing the application. Example: maiden name or other name used, old address, etc. If the information does not fit in item 7, continue on a separate sheet of paper and place inside the FPCA before sealing. FVAP recommends that FPCAs be sealed with adhesive tape on both sides after applying adhesive tab. Do not staple the FPCA. Provide your fax number in item 5 and include all international prefixes, country or city codes (provide commercial fax numbers only). Even if your state may not allow faxing of the FPCA, the local election official may use your fax number to contact you. Providing fax, phone and/or email will give the local election official options to contact you for questions, clarifications or to request additional information on your FPCA. If you do not provide clear contact information on the FPCA it may be impossible to reach you. For voters that want to know if their application has been denied, the Help America Vote Act now requires that voters be notified. If your FPCA is denied, your state is required by law to notify you and explain why it was denied. --------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribing --------------------------------------------------- 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, click on this link, or type it into your browser's address window: http://mh.databack.com/c.php?L=tokyoacs&E=#email# You can also unsubscribe by writing from the same email address you used to subscribe, and send a blank email to: leave-tokyoacs@mh.databack.com --------------------------------------------------- Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents. This newsletter is prepared by the American Embassy in Tokyo with contributions from our Consulates/Consulates-General in Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka-Kobe, Fukuoka and Naha. Need a form? Just about any form needed for use in our American Citizen Services sections is now available for download, including passport forms, the things you need to marry in Japan, blank Powers of Attorney, US Federal tax forms and more. Visit http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-forms.html, or take the shortcut at http://forms.tokyoacs.com/ Access us on your mobile phone at http://imode.tokyoacs.com