Latest news with #ConsularReportofBirthAbroad
Mint
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Iran-Israel Ceasefire: US Embassy in Jerusalem to open from today. Visa operations resume in Tel Aviv, too
Iran-Israel Ceasefire: The US Embassy in Jerusalem will be open as usual on Wednesday, June 25, a week after it was shut due to the Iran-Israel war The Home Front Command has lifted all restrictions after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The shelter in place orders for US government employees and their family members has also been lifted, according to the statement. 'Due to the ceasefire between Israel and Iran, Home Front Command has lifted all restrictions, and the US Embassy will be open as usual on Wednesday, June 25. The shelter-in-place orders for US government employees and their family members have been lifted,' said a statement by US Embassy in Jerusalem. The Home Front Command of the IDF operates in various emergency situations, specialising in the field of civilian protection The US government employees and their family members are, however, restricted from travel outside the greater Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya, and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem, and Be'er Sheva areas until further notice, the statement said. 'Transit between these three areas, including to and from Ben Gurion Airport, is authorized. Transiting Route 1 to and from Allenby Bridge is also permitted,' it said. The US Embassy in Jerusalem will be shut on June 18 due to the security situation in the region and to comply with Israeli guidance, the US State Department said. 'The US Embassy in Jerusalem will resume its normal regularly scheduled U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad appointments on Wednesday, June 25. We will accept walk-ins (no appointment necessary) for U.S. citizens needing a limited-validity, emergency passport in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for those in line before 8:30AM. Visa operations will resume in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Monday, June 30,' the statement said.
The Hill
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
US Embassy in Israel to close from Wednesday to Friday
The U.S. Embassy in Israel will be closed from Wednesday to Friday because of the ongoing 'security situation' in the region, the State Department announced Tuesday. 'Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20),' the State Department said in a post on X. The State Department said that the closures include the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The closures also include emergency passport services and Consular Report of Birth Abroad services. The State Department said, at this time, there is no new information to share about assistance for U.S. citizens wishing to depart from Israel. There are no commercial or charter flights operating from the country's main international airport. 'The Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist with private U.S. citizens' departure from crisis areas. We will alert the U.S. citizen community if there is additional information to share regarding departure options,' the State Department said in a statement. The State Department said it is 'aware' of third parties helping U.S. citizens depart Israel, adding, 'While we are not able to endorse any providers, we understand some have been able to successfully help U.S. citizens.' The announcement comes a day after the U.S. Embassy branch in Tel Aviv suffered some minor damage after an Iranian missile struck a nearby area. There were no injuries. It also comes as the U.S. military positions itself to potentially join Israel's fight, as President Trump weighs direct action against Tehran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program.
West Australian
18-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
US Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel, closed: Services in Tel Aviv unavailable as Middle East war fears grow
The US Embassy in Israel has told its government staff to 'shelter in place', closing down Jerusalem and Tel Aviv services due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. 'As a result of the current security situation and ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, the US Embassy has directed that all US government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place in and near their residences until further notice,' the Embassy said in a statement. 'Given the security situation and in compliance with Israel Home Front Command guidance, the US Embassy in Jerusalem will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 18) through Friday (June 20). 'This includes the Consular Sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. There will be no passport (emergency or regular) or Consular Report of Birth Abroad services.' The announcement comes after US President Donald Trump met with national security advisers in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday after returning from the G7 summit early. Both US and Israeli media have also reported that Mr Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the Situation Room meeting. The US Embassy said it had 'no announcements' on assisting private US citizens in Israel. The main airport in Israel, Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, is closed. The advice from the US Government, which echoed advice from the Chinese Embassy in Israel a day prior, was to head towards Jordan land crossings The Australian Government updated it's advice for Israel to 'do not travel' on June 15. Like other governments, no plans to rescue stranded citizens have been announced. Mr Trump on Tuesday demanded Iran 'surrender' as more missiles were fired. Following his demand, Iran's Supreme Leader issued a chilling messaging, saying: 'the battle begins'.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘We're not ready to give up': Central Texas mom fights for daughter's citizenship
Under President Donald Trump's renewed administration, Texas has emerged as a key frontline in the push for aggressive immigration enforcement and widespread deportations. Texas residents – regardless of immigration status – feel the ripple effects in the economy, schools, healthcare systems, courts and public safety services. To better understand these challenges, KXAN spent the first 100 days of Trump's second term producing 'Undocumented,' a comprehensive project diving into the real-life consequences of related policies and proposals. LISTEN: In the months after President Trump resumed office, immigration advocates say they have worried about fear and anxiety in the immigrant community – including those working to stay in the country legally. KXAN Investigative Intern Talisa Treviño takes a closer look at how this issue is playing out for some living in Texas. AUSTIN (KXAN) – In August 2023, Tina packed everything she and her daughter owned into their car and left Canada for the United States. They started their journey south to Michigan and stayed with family until November. Then they rented a 20-foot truck, hitched their car to the back, and made their way to their next stop – Texas. 'I had never driven a truck in my life, so it was for four days on the road and I was really kind of freaking out,' she recalled. 'I kind of went into a downward spiral, but I said, 'We got to get there.' Tina was heading home, but said it would be a fresh start for her 18-year-old daughter. Nearly two years after they moved, the mother now fears her daughter, who was born and raised in Canada, will be deported. 'If they should deport her, I will go with her because I'm not going to let her do this on her own,' Tina said anxiously. KXAN is not using Tina's full name and not naming her daughter because they're concerned their case could be impacted for speaking out. Texas lawmakers debate bills to curb illegal immigration Tina said since her daughter's birth, she had tried to get her U.S. citizenship. The family needed to sign the Consular Report of Birth Abroad form, which gives U.S. citizenship to a child born outside the country to a parent who is a U.S. citizen. Both parents must sign it before the child's 18th birthday. Tina said her now-former husband refused to sign the form, so she could never start the process for her daughter. Instead, before they moved to the U.S., Tina submitted USCIS form I-130, a petition for a non-citizen relative. Their application was approved in June 2024 and sent to the National Visitor Center. The process is long, she said, but also expensive: it has cost her over $2,000 since they began the legal path for her daughter's citizenship, including submitting fingerprints and undergoing a physical examination and bloodwork. Tina said since President Donald Trump took office again, communication from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, has slowed down. She said most of the communication has been through an automated phone call system, and she explained the process is taking longer than anticipated. 'If there was one person – an actual person I could talk to on the phone and say, 'hey, we did all these things, what am I missing?' Then I could get on to it and get it done,' Tina said. 'But there's nobody to talk to, so you keep on sending in forms and you keep on paying them and you don't know if that's actually a form you need, but you're still giving the government money and you don't know if it's helping you or not.' She explained they are facing other hurdles. She said her daughter has no form of U.S. identification, keeping her from driving and working, and she has no Social Security number, leaving her without access to Tina's health insurance. For now, all Tina and her daughter can do is wait. 'I thought, me being American, that I would be able to, you know, do the usual, follow the path, do all the things I need to do. And it would just happen,' Tina said. 'But it doesn't happen — there's a lot of little things in between you got to do.' From January to the end of September 2024, the USCIS public database reported more than 981,000 applications of the form Tina filled out. While nearly 712,000 applications were approved last year, over 2.2 million cases are pending due to a backlog. Tina's is one of those. Managing Attorney of the Texas Immigration Law Council Robert Painter said there are many reasons someone could not get citizenship, and it gets complicated based on the individual case. Painter explained there are different paths to citizenship, mostly broken up into three categories: employment, family and humanitarian. Both the employment and family routes start with someone undocumented applying for their lawful permanent resident card, more commonly known as a green card. But there are several different ways to obtain one. The most common way is through the family route, which is when a U.S. citizen family member sponsors a person by filing the form on the non-citizen's behalf. Family includes a relative who is 21 or older, or a fiancé who is a U.S. citizen. A U.S. employer can also sponsor someone. The humanitarian route is for people who enter the country through the asylum-seeking process by applying through form I-589 and demonstrating a fear of persecution in their home country. After a year, asylees or refugees can apply for a green card. Once someone has a green card, that person can apply for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen. Filling out form N-40 Being at least 18 years of age Holding a Green Card for five years or three years for marriage Having no criminal record Taking the English proficiency test Taking the U.S. history and government test Taking the Oath of Allegiance in front of a government official 'There's so many steps that make it hard for people. I think one of the biggest problems we have is such an incredible backlog in the immigration system with the courts and the asylum process,' said Rebecca Lightsey, co-director of American Gateways. The organization provides legal counsel, educational resources and advocacy for low-income immigrants and asylum seekers from San Antonio to Waco. Lightsey added that once a person applies for asylum, they should receive an interview within six months to a year. Right now, she said, because of the immigration courts' backlog, she sees people wait for years for their asylum interviews. 'Many of our new arrivals are seeking asylum, and to qualify for asylum, you have to meet very, very specific categories [like] fear of persecution in their home country,' Lightsey said. 'Citizenship is kind of at the other end — so people who have been in this country for a long time. Once you get your green card after a certain period, then you can become a citizen.' 'Are you a US Citizen?' TX hospital patients questioned, state says millions spent on undocumented After President Trump initiated his plans for mass deportations in early January, Lightsey said many people have come forward asking for legal assistance, especially those still with pending applications. 'We are just completely overwhelmed. It's really heartbreaking. What we are seeing is such a fear and anxiety in the immigrant community, and we can't tell them that they shouldn't be scared,' Lightsey said. Painter also mentioned the increase in expedited removals with the new presidential administration. According to the American Immigration Council, expedited removals allow immigration officers to remove noncitizens who come to the country at a port of entry and present documents that are either fraudulent or misrepresentative, or lack the documents needed to enter the country. Any noncitizen who has lived in the U.S. for two years and did not check in with officials when immigrating to the U.S. can also face expedited removal. 'Expedited removals as a mechanism have existed since the '90s, but one of the things that we've seen under the Trump administration is they've expanded its use to the maximum limits allowed by law,' Painter said. He said ICE detention can be temporary until it proceeds with an expedited removal, which means for certain individuals in the country for less than two years, ICE is authorized to try to deport them without any judicial review of that deportation. Painter said that, for years, the organization has worked statewide, serving as a resource hub to support organizations and other nonprofits working in the immigration space and supplying them with educational materials for legal support. However, with all the recent changes and developments to immigration, Painter said the organization is focusing more on outreach to small immigration service providers to help provide more services to more people. 'We certainly have really robust coalitions and community partners in places like Houston, Central Texas or San Antonio. But one of our core tenets of our mission is to provide services in underserved communities,' Painter said. 'So a lot of our emphasis has been down in Laredo, or out in the panhandle, where there aren't a lot of service providers.' Texas students worry 'no one is going to be home for me' amid deportation push Painter said they have seen more demand from schools and churches requesting resource information to make sure everyone in their local communities is aware of their rights. 'One of the things we really want to emphasize is that these resources are for everyone, because the constitutional rights apply not just to the undocumented community, but to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and anyone in this country. It's useful information to have, even if they were born here,' Painter said. The Texas Immigration Law Council offers resources for those working in immigration by providing public fact sheets and immigration data on its website to help educate people about immigration rights and what many of the new executive orders mean. American Gateways offers similar support. The organization hosts legal clinics in San Antonio and Austin twice a year, where volunteer lawyers help immigrants apply for citizenship and other legal pathways. 'Someone might want to give someone else the power of attorney over their financial affairs, they may want to do a care in custody agreement, so that if something happens to them and they have children, that their children are taken care of, to really plan ahead,' Lightsey said. Tina and her daughter plan to attempt to get all of the checklist items they need before their interview appointment with immigration officials. 'We do everything and then wait another how many months,' Tina said. 'Because we don't know.' American Gateways Austin Region – Justice for our Neighbors Catholic Charities – Central Texas Equal Justice Center RAICES Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid University of Texas School of Law Immigration Clinic Bernardo Kohler Center If someone is in immigration detention, people can locate them on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Online Detainee Locator Portal. KXAN Investigative Reporter Arezow Doost, Graphic Artist Wendy Gonzalez, Director of Investigations & Innovation Josh Hinkle, Investigative Photojournalist Chris Nelson, Digital Special Projects Developer Robert Sims and Digital Director Kate Winkle contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
What is required for REAL ID in Pennsylvania?
(WHTM) – The REAL ID deadline is fast approaching, potentially limiting access to flights and certain government buildings. If you do not have your REAL ID ahead of the May 7 deadline, here's what you need to know to get one in Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there are four things you must provide when applying for a REAL ID: One document proving identity and lawful status U.S. birth certificate with a raised seal, issued by a government agency, Office of Vital Statistics and Records (not a hospital or souvenir certificate) Valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561) Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240, DS-1350, or FS-545) Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) Unexpired Employment Authorization Card (Form I-766 or I-688B) Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) (Form I-551) Unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and I-94 form showing permanent residence One document proving your Social Security number with a current legal name and all nine Social Security numbers Social Security card W-2 form SSA-1099 form Non-SSA-1099 form Pay stub with full Social Security number Two physical documents proving your Pennsylvania residency. Current PA driver's license or photo ID PA vehicle registration card Auto insurance card Utility bill with your name and address W-2 form Tax records Lease agreement or mortgage document Any mail that has moved through the US postal service If you have changed your legal name at any point, you must bring proof of your legal name change. This can be a marriage certificate, a court order approving a name or date of birth change, or an amended birth certificate. PennDOT says if you were married more than once, you should provide marriage certificates showing each name change. Divorce papers are only needed if you have returned to using a maiden name. PennDOT also says that if your gender designation has changed, you must provide a completed DL-32 form. PennDOT has a checklist of documents that can be used that may assist with you obtaining a REAL ID. fs-ridcDownload PennDOT locations are hosting REAL ID days ahead of the deadline to help those looking to obtain their REAL ID. If you received your first Pennsylvania driver's license, learner's permit, or photo ID card after September 2003, PennDOT may have your documents on file, and you may be able to apply for one online. Holding a passport while standing in a long line to get a Real ID? You're doing it wrong After May 7, you will need a REAL ID to board a commercial flight and enter certain federal facilities. You do not need a REAL ID to vote, drive, access federal courts or post offices, or apply for federal benefits. You can also still receive a REAL ID after May 7. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
