American Citizen Services (ACS) Contact Information U.S. Consulate General,
Shanghai, China 1038 West Nanjing Road, 8/F Westgate Mall
梅龙镇广场 (Méi Lóng
Zhèn Guǎng Chǎng) Tel: (86-21) 3217-4650 Fax: (86-21) 6217-2071 Open 8:00am - 11:30am
and 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Monday to Friday
*Clod on Wednesday afternoons, weekends,
and holidays.
After Hours Emergencies: (86-21) 3217-4650
*********************
Homepage: shanghai.umbassy-china/rvice.html Happy 4th of July! U.S. citizens around the globe
will soon mark the 236th anniversary of our Na-
tion’s Independence Day with family and commu-
nity gatherings, food, and fireworks. For U.S. citi-
zens living outside the United States, the 4th of
July is an opportunity for all of us, regardless of
political affiliation, to celebrate our shared values
as citizens of the United States of America.
Have a say in our country’s future. One of our
most treasured values is the right and the privilege
to vote –to participate actively in our country’s
democratic process. This November, U.S. citi-
zens will elect a President, a Vice President, one-
third of the Senate, and the entire Hou of Rep-
rentatives. The Shanghai Consulate encour-
ages all U.S. citizens to participate in this year’s
elections, and stands ready to help you vote.
Almost all overas U.S. citizens can vote.
Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia
now allow adult children who have never resided
in the United States to vote using their parents’
state of voting residence. Details are available on
the FVAP website at
v/reference/nvr-res.html.
Register and request a ballot. To vote, new
laws require you to complete and submit a Fed-
eral Post Card Application (FPCA) this calendar
year. The FPCA allows you to register to vote and
request an abntee ballot. If you haven’t yet
done so, we urge you to do so now. The easiest
way to complete it is online at v.
Depending on your State’s rules, you then nd it
to your local election officials electronically or by
mail.
Mailing guidance. Print out the completed FPCA
and the (U.S.) postage-paid envelope containing
the address of your local election officials. You
can drop off the postage-paid envelope
(containing your FPCA) at the Consulate, and we
will mail it back home for you without the need to
pay international postage. If it’s easier for you to
u China's postal system, be sure to affix suffi-
cient international postage and allow sufficient time
for international mail delivery.
Need help? NOTE: It is acceptable for private
U.S. citizens or U.S. citizens’ groups to collect
FPCAs and deliver them to the Consulate on behalf
of other eligible voters, as long as each FPCA is in
its own U.S. postage-paid envelope.
Make your vote count!Follow your State’s ab-
ntee voting procedures carefully. Send in your
FPCA before the registration deadline. When you
get your ballot, vote and mail it promptly so it
reaches local election officials by your State’s ab-
ntee ballot receipt deadline.
Questions? If you have any questions about reg-
女娲补天读后感istering to vote, plea contact Shanghai's Voting
Assistance Officer at 86-21-3217-4650, or at
**********************.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: New abntee vot-
ing laws are in effect for the 2012 elections. You
may no longer automatically receive ballots bad
on a previous abntee ballot request. All U.S.
citizens outside the United States who want to vote
by abntee ballot in U.S. elections should com-
plete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)
every year. States are now required to nd out
ballots 45 days before an election. No matter what
State you vote in, you can now ask your local elec-
tion officials to provide your blank ballots to you
electronically (by email, internet download, or fax,
depending on your State). You can now also con-
firm your registration and ballot delivery online. Be智慧作文
sure to include your email address on the form to
take advantage of the electronic ballot delivery op-
tion. This is the fastest and most reliable way to
receive your ballot on time, and we strongly recom-
mend every voter take advantage of it. Learn more
at the Federal Voting Assistance Program's (FVAP)
website at v.
Upcoming Holidays & Other Closures
A full list of all of our holiday closings is online at shanghai.umbassy-china/holidays.html. The ACS Unit will be CLOSED to the public on:
July 4, Wednesday: Independence Day (独立日 Dúlì Rì)
Air Quality Monitor at Shanghai Consulate
2
Leaving Shanghai Consular District?
2
Travel Warnings and Alerts
2 Children Travelling
3 A Safety Reminder 3 News: City Ead
Path to Work Permits
4
News: Police Against Phone “Spoofing” Scams
4
News: July Start for Graduated Power
Tarrif
烩羊肉
5 Int’l Travel Tips 5
List of Hotlines in Shanghai 6
Inside this issue:
A July 4th Voting Reminder
S h a n g h a i C o n s u l a t e
N e w s f o r A m e r i c a n s
June, 2012 Issue 53
drawdown of its staff. This informa-tion is available at
v/travel/cis_pa_t w/tw/tw_1764.html .
The U.S. Department of State also has issued new Travel Alerts :
Hurricane Typhoon Season 2012 06/04/2012
Travel Alerts are issued to dismi-nate information about short-term conditions generally within a particu-lar country or region that po immi-nent risks to the curity of U.S. citi-zens. Natural disasters, terrorist at-tacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstra-tions or violence, and high-profile events such as international confer-ences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert. This informa-tion is available at :
v/travel/cis_pa_t
Security reminder: It is advisable that you and your family review your per-sonal curity profile and be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Since our previous Newsletter, the U.S. Department of State has issued new Travel Warnings for the follow-ing countries:
Nigeria 06/21/2012 Haiti 06/18/2012 Somalia 06/15/2012 Philippines 06/14/2012 Mauritania 05/24/2012
Travel Warnings are issued to de-scribe long-term, protracted condi-tions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or becau of a
w/pa/pa_1766.html .
The most up-to-date information re-garding permitted and prohibited items on flights can be viewed online at
v/travelers/airtravel/prohibi ted/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm . For additional information, plea visit "Americans Traveling Abroad " on the U.S. Department of State website: htt
p://v/visa/americans/americans_1252.html .
Students traveling abroad may wish to visit the State Department site de-signed for them:
v/. To obtain up-to-date information on curity conditions, plea call 1-888-407-4747 (toll free in the United
States), or +1-202-501-4444 if you are outside the United States.
Travel Warnings and Alerts
which provides a health resource for the American community.
If you would like to view our data, plea look for us on Twitter
兰姓是什么民族(@cgshanghaiair ) or view our website at shanghai.umbassy-china/airmonitor.html .
The U.S. Consulate General in Shang-hai has recently installed a PM2.5 air quality monitor to measure fine parti-cles in the air at its Huai Hai Middle Road compound.
Data from this monitor are ud to calculate the Air Quality Index (AQI)
Air Quality Monitor at U.S. Consulate Shanghai
Page 2 Shanghai Consulate
Leaving Shanghai Consular District?
If you are departing the Shanghai consular district after a long stay here and you formally joined the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), plea do not forget to end your en-rollment when you leave.
You can end your enrollment by visit-ing the
v site if you previously enrolled through this site.
If you previously submitted a paper enrollment form to the U.S. consulate, you may end your enrollment by nd-ing an email request to: *********************.
月季花好养吗Children - Child Traveling with One Parent or Someone Who Is Not A Parent or Legal Guardian or A Group
American Citizens are reminded to be cautious of confidence schemes, usu-ally operated by Chine nationals who will approach foreigners in tourist areas. Usually the schemes will in-volve an invitation to a condary location, either for a social visit (viewing a tea ceremony, “practicing English,”) or for emingly low-priced massages. At the conclusion of the ceremony or rvice, the forcing citi-zen will then be prented with a bill much higher than reasonable or an-ticipated, or for rvices not re-quested or rendered. Intimidation, threats of physical violence or addi-
tional charges are not unusual in situa-
tions where the foreign citizen refud
to pay immediately. If forced to pay,
American Citizens should call the police
and the credit-card company as soon
as possible to report the crime.
Some General Safety Advice:
· Shanghai is a big city with big city
problems.
· It is not a good idea at home; it is
probably not a good idea here.
出去旅游· If it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is.
· Always be aware of your surround-
ings. Look at the people clo to
you and watch out for “accidental”
nudging and touching.
· Think about leaving valuable and
extra cash behind in a safe place
when you go out.
· Don’t carry all your valuable, cash,
credit cards, etc in one pocket or放声
bag – distribute.
· Enter into your phone: 110 (police)
and 962288 (bilingual assistance).
A Safety Reminder
(v)
If a child (under the age of 18) is traveling with only one parent or someone who is not a parent or legal guardian, what paperwork should the adult have to indicate permission or legal authority to have that child in their care?
Due to the increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cas and as possible victims of child pornography, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recom-mends that unless the child is accom-panied by both parents, the adult have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the ca of a child trav-eling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, friends, or in groups*, a note signed by both parents) stating:
"I acknowledge that my
wife/husband/etc. is traveling out of the country with my
son/daughter/group. He/She/They has/have my permission to do so." CBP also suggests that this note be
notarized.
Parental connt/permission letter
What should a parental con-
nt/permission letter look like? Is
there a Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) form?
There is not a CBP Form letter, how-
ever, the parental connt letter should
include: Who, What, Where, When,
Why, and contact information for the
abnt parent(s).
Having the letter notarized is not nec-
essary but highly recommended. For
frequent border crosrs, the letter
should not exceed one year. It is rec-
ommended to have the letter in Eng-
lish.
While CBP may not ask to e this
documentation, if they do ask, and you
do not have it, you may be detained
until the circumstances of the child
traveling without both parents can be
fully assd. If there is no cond
parent with legal claims to the child
(decead, sole custody, etc.) any
other relevant paperwork, such as a
court decision, birth certificate nam-
ing only one parent, death certificate,
etc., would be uful.
Adults traveling with children should
also be aware that, while the U.S.
does not require this documentation,
many other countries do; failure to
produce notarized permission letters
and/or birth certificates could result in
travelers being refud entry (Canada
has very strict requirements in this
regard).
* School groups, teen tours, vacation
groups.
(From Shanghai Daily, June 2, 2012, By Dong Zhen)
THE city plans to open rvice centers at district levels to help save legwork and queuing time for foreigners who need to apply for work permits to become legally em-ployed in Shanghai.
The downtown Huangpu District's Employment Promotion Center yesterday started accepting work permit applica-tions of foreign residents. One window at the center is now open for the foreign applicants
The rvice will accept foreign applicants who employ-ers are registered or located inside Huangpu District. This means they can avoid traveling to the only city-level center to go through the procedures.
The district offices usually have fewer customers and ap-plicants can expect shortened wait times co
mpared to the city-level center, an official surnamed Ding with the Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau said yesterday. "The scheme is to help divert traffic from the city-level cen-ter and offer bettered convenience for the foreign appli-cants. They can just find their nearest district center to complete the application steps," Ding said.
Officials said the same convenience will be offered soon by employment offices in the Pudong New Area and Xuhui, Jing'an, Minhang and Jiading districts.
The Huangpu District center is at 525 Nanchezhan Road. It can be reached by Metro lines 4 and 8 as well as No. 929, 66 and 771 bus.
People from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao applying for work permits are covered by the same application rules and can u the same rvice offices.
The city-level office, Shanghai Administrative Center for Employment of Foreigners, is at 77 Meiyuan Road in Zha-bei District. The human resources hotline 12333 offers con-sultations.
Local News: City Easing Path to Work Permits for Foreigners Local News: Police Want Action Against Phone 'Spoofing' Scams
春节晚会主持词(From Shanghai Daily, June 14, 2012, By Ni Yinbin) SHANGHAI police are calling on telecom administrators to stop rvice to suspected clients who u Internet phone calls to scam residents in China.
Police said suspects take advantage of the ability to call with their number blocked or a fal number shown - a practice called "spoofing'' - in order to confu victims. In a typical recent ca, a woman surnamed Zhou was cheated out of 4.2 million yuan (US$659,236) after she received a phone call with the number of a police depart-ment in Beijing.
Zhou said she got the phone call on May 4 with the num-ber starting with 010, the regional code of Beijing, from someone who claimed to be from the economic crime in-vestigation department of Beijing police. The caller said Zhou's social curity account was overdrawn and might be involved with a money laundering ca and asked Zhou to cooperate with the police investigation.
Zhou checked the caller number with 114, a yellow pages hotline, and was told that the caller's number belongs to Beijing police.
Several minutes later, the caller rang Zhou again, who by this time trusted the caller, Zhou was asked to transfer all her money to a safe account offered by the "police." She did so, transferring all t
he savings of her family plus money borrowed from friends and relatives. The caller turned out to be a scammer using a function offered by the telecom operator to mimic the police telephone number, Shanghai police said. The ca was still under investigation.
To attract clients, telecom operators enable clients to t the incoming number they want to be displayed on the phone of someone they call. This rvice can be ud as a tactic by suspects, said Wei Jian, an anti-telecom scam expert of Shanghai police.
"The first step of the suspects is making calls, most of them called with rvers overas," Wei said. "This year we had eight cas with stolen money reaching over 1 million yuan and all the victims received the calls with a fal number." But Wei also said the trick was not hard to e through as long as the receiver of the call dials back the number to check it.
Shanghai police said they have detained more than 270 suspects this year in hundreds of telecom scam cas and helped to stop 1,780 potential cas, keeping 91 million yuan from possibly being stolen.
(From Shanghai Daily, June 15, 2012, By Richard Fu) China is to implement a graduated power tariff mechanism for houholds from next month as part of government efforts to conrve energy.
All provinces and municipalities were told to implement the new system before the cond half of the year with the stipulation that local plans should leave 80 percent of houholds unaffected, the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning body, said.
In Shanghai the new system will result in a 4 percent ri on average in residential power prices but will not affect 80 percent of families, local authorities said. After public hear-ings on how the new system could operate, Shanghai is expected to announce the details of its plan today.
Most people who took part in the hearings in the city last month preferred a plan that us one year as a calculation period. In the one-year plan, a houhold pays what it cur-rently pays until consumption hits 3,120 kilowatt hours (260 kwh a month times 12), and then pays higher rates during the rest of the year.
(Continued on Page 6)
Local News: July Start for Graduated Power Tariff
Page 5 Shanghai Consulate
International Travel Tips
Leaving China on business or holiday? Here are a few tips to make your international travel smoother:
Carefully review the validity of your current U.S. passport. Regular passports are procesd in Washington and are usually received within 10-20 calendar days after the ap-plication is submitted to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. More information about the passport renewal process can be found at shanghai.umbassy-china/
u.s.passport_renewals.html.
Many governments require US travelers to have at least six months validity left in their passports for entry into their countries. Check our Country Specific Information Sheets to learn the Entry and Exit Requirements for your destina-tion. The information sheets are available online at v/. Plea keep in mind that if visas are required, you will need to visit the respective embas-sies of your destination countries. In addition, some visas may take veral days or weeks to be procesd, so plan ahead and make your visa appointments early.
Apply early if you need a new passport or additional pages in your passport, becau passport rvices are by ap-pointment only. Typically, only two ts of additional pages may be added to a pa
ssport; after that, you will need to replace the passport, even if it has not already expired. Also, additional pages cannot be affixed to a limited valid-ity or a damaged passport.
Register in the STEP program. The Department of State encourages U.S. citizens living overas or planning to travel abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at
v/ibrs/ui. By enrolling in STEP, we can keep you up to date with important safety and curity announcements and will also make it easier for the Embassy/Consulate to contact you in the event of an emergency. You should remember to keep all of your information in STEP up to date; it is particularly important when you enroll or update your information to include a cur-rent phone number and e-mail address.
Inform your family or friends of your travel plans. Tell tho you trust about your travel plans, including your transporta-tion, hotel, and local contact information, so that they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency. Keep a copy of your passport and China visa not in the same place you keep your passport.
You can find more information about international travel on the Department of State website at v/. If you will be requiring rvices from the Consulate, remem-ber that appointm
ents fill up fast before or after the holi-days, so plea make sure to plan ahead. To make an ap-pointment, visit our website at shanghai.umbassy-china/appointment_system011309.html and follow the link to Citizen Services.
