European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 stars and stripes saturday March 24 2007 overseas consulates get Green Light for visas by David Allen stars and stripes Camp Foster Okinawa theres Good news this week for overseas military families who found themselves in a quandary because of a change in the Way immigrant visa applications Are processed the us state department announced thursday that us consulates once again will accept visa petitions for relatives of us citizens living overseas including members of the armed forces the change solves a processing problem that developed in Janu Ary at that time consular offices were instructed to cease accept ing petitions for immigrant visas because they did not have the Means to perform criminal Back ground checks the background checks on american citizens petitioning for their family members Are required under the Adam Walsh child Protection and safety act passed on july 27 the consulate offices stopped accepting new petitions Jan 22 and petitioners were told they had to file requests with the us citizenship and immigration ser vice office having jurisdiction Over their places of residence i the us that left some 760 Immi Grant visa applications filed in Naha and Tokyo after july 27 in limbo most of the applications Are for the foreign spouses of us service members based in Japan and facing new assignments in the states Many of those pending applications were sent to the us is of fice in the us embassy in Seoul by the first week of March about 100 applications have been processed and sent Back to consular offices for final interviews according to the state department Petty officer 2nd class Robert Berry stationed at Yokosuka photo illustration by Christopher and stripes the us state department announced thursday that us consulates once again will accept visa petitions for relatives of us citizens living overseas the decision benefits troops with foreign born spouses naval base said he was one of the Lucky ones he and his wife Keiko have a 7monthold son we got a Call from the us embassy today and got an appoint ment for tuesday Berry said thursday we were told it takes just two to three Days to get the visa stamp once the interview is done so we should have every thing set by the end of next week its just in time he is due to Transfer to a new assignment in Bangor Wash on april 10 in the weeks since the Jan 22 halt to accepting applications overseas the state department and us is worked out a process in which us is would perform the required background checks for petitions accepted abroad by consular officers said Kathleen m Goggin Deputy spokesperson for the state departments Bureau of consular affairs in addition to working with ser Vic members and other us Citi Zens living abroad the consulates also will accept True emergency cases such As life and death or health and safety and others determined to be in the National in Terest according to a state department release to demonstrate residency in a consular District american Citi zen petitioners must be Able to show that they have permission to reside in the consular District and that they have been doing so continuously for at least six months before filing the petition the state department announced individuals who Are in the coun try on a temporary status such As student or tourist would not be considered to meet the residency Standard family emergencies include situations where minor children would be unexpectedly left with out a caretaker according to the announcement it also stated that examples of National interest in clude facilitating the travel of ser Vic members and Directoire government employees assigned overseas who Are pending trans Fer on orders and need immigrant visas for their spouses and minor children in Okinawa us Consul Gener Al Kevin Maher said he was pleased with the new arrange ment we Are Happy to once again be Able to provide this important service to our military col leagues and their families he said the consulate office in Naha is in the process of completing Clear ances for immigrant visa petition ers As required under the Adam Walsh act said Philip Roskamp the Naha consulate visa chief in an email once the clearances Are completed consulate staff will con tact families to provide instructions on How to proceed with part 2 of the process he said some families with completed name checks have already been Able to schedule part 2 interviews Tony Edson Deputy assistant Secretary for visa services at the state department said service members who have already filed their paperwork with stateside offices dont need to refile or revise their applications those cases Are already under Way Treyve already paid the fee and they should be cleared in the near future he said still thurs Days announcement left some service members scratching their Heads Petty officer 2nd class eran Buck a Sailor assigned to Yokosuka naval base who has a Japa Nese wife and 2yearold son said he is frustrated the process Hast been fully explained to those with pending applications he waited until six months before his Dis charge Date to file the paperwork i am afraid i am going to have to spend the Money i had saved to move to Iowa and go to school to rent an apartment Here for my wife and son while i am in the states dealing with this mess he said email David Allen at so International marketing inc kanto Plains Baptist Church Southern Baptist Church Tel 0425511915 Sun school am Sun evening 6 pm Sun worship 11 am wed evening pm Al it Yoko Airbus International Christian Assembly Yokota Christian Center located just South of Supply Gate on it 16 visit our website t prayer sunday school worship service childrens Church English japanese holy grounds cafe 1 St sunday All Church prayer 2nd sunday Fellowship sunday 3rd sunday prayer walk 4th sunday am am am am pm pm pm pm family night adult Bible study youth Royal rangers 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