From all four corners of the US

US Embassy construction

It is done! On May 2, 2002, US ambassador Daniel R. Coats and the governing mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" for the new US embassy on Pariser Platz in Berlin. This had been preceded by a tug-of-war over several years, especially about the security of the building that is considered to be particularly at risk of being attacked. Same as all other US embassies abroad, it is subject to new, tighter security regulations according to a decision of Congress as a reaction to the bombing attacks on US embassies in Nairobi and Darussalam in 1998. It was tried to ensure the security of visitors and residents nearby, but at the same time consider the overall picture and the historical legacy of the Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate.

At last it was agreed to move part of the Behrenstrasse roughly eight meters to the south, the US administration is going to pay for this. It's being hoped that the building plans will be done in one year. Provided US Congress agrees, construction will start in the summer of 2003. However, it is expected that the building won't be finished before the year 2006.

17 or 18?
Wednesday of last week the INS has after all released Malik Jarno from custody. Jarno from Guinea had been in the remand prison that is usually for adults only for 15 months after coming to the country, even though his birth certificate states that he is only 17. The INS, however, claimed that x-rays of his bones and teeth clearly proved that he was of age. This method of determining a persons age is highly controversial in the US since the physical development of individuals can vary greatly from case to case. The administration reversed its judgment after the government of his home country confirmed the authenticity of his birth certificate. Jarno seeks asylum in the US due to political and religious reasons.

No more US passports abroad
As of April 8 the US Department of State's embassies and consulates around the world will no longer issue passports. The reason is that due to new security regulations the technical equipment of the consulates is no longer sufficient. The department has not released a lot of information to the general public, however, one difference to the old system seems to be that the new passports will include a digital picture of the passport holder.

Ailing US immigration (finally) to be reorganized
The US House of Representatives has disbanded the US immigration service in its current form with 409 YES and 9 NO votes. Since a reform of US immigration has been long overdue, President Bush had made this one of the most important topics of his campaign. The consequences of September 11 had once again underlined the necessity of this, after some of the World Trade Center terrorists had been sent their student visas six months after their deaths (we reported about this in detail).

The bill H.R. 3231 suggests splitting the INS into two separate and independent immigration departments, one for service, the other for execution. Both will be led by one person, a new position "Assistant Attorney General" is to be created for this. Despite different campaign promises the US government had wanted to oppose the reform for as long as possible, but finally even sent their Attorney General John Ashcroft to Capitol Hill to comment on the reform to the House.

A similar voting result is expected from the Senate. They are, however, criticizing that the new position is not going to be powerful enough to control both departments effectively. They are pointing out that he will at least need the same kind of power that the INS Commissioner has right now.

Arbitrary decisions at US consulates?
An immigration lawyer is conducting a sensational lawsuit against the US State Department. He claims that the US consulate in Korea is rejecting visa applications in an incorrect way. According to the lawyer, Jong J. Chun, the visa department there is regularly rejecting tourist visa applications of people who are also applying for an immigration visa in the US. This can play a role for the decision to issue a tourist visa. The lawyer claims that most people are not even given the chance to prove they have no intent to immigrate. The US State Department of course denied this - a spokesman said the consulate was basing all decisions on valid law.

No Social Security Card for driver's licenses (next part)
In our last newsletter March/April we told you that the Social Security Administration was no longer issuing Social Security Cards to people who only need it to get a driver's license. Applicant's without a work permit - with only very few exceptions - cannot get a Social Security Card, which is unpleasant since in some states it is a requirement for getting a driver's license. A very attentive reader was kind enough to point out to us that there was still another way out. We would like to share her helpful remarks with you.

Anyone who cannot get a Social Security Card should try to get an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). The way we interpret the regulations, applicants will, in the future, be able to use the ITIN as an alternative to the SSC. However, please note that a driver's license might not be sufficient reason to receive an ITIN. There's a note on the form "this number is for tax purposes only." The form also mentions that people who are able to get their SSN should not be applying for the ITIN. A good example of a person who might want to think about this would be the H-4 visa holder, the spouse of the H-1B visa holder. Since they cannot obtain a work permit of their own, they also cannot get the SSN. However, due to combined assessment they would have to file a tax return even with a zero income.

The application form W-7 can be downloaded from the internal revenue service website www.irs.gov

...and more about the driver's license
Here's another report from another one of our customers, to go along with the above:

"Hello to those of you who are almost living in the US,
I had a surprising experience during our Easter vacation in Florida. My American driver's license that I have had for 12 years already would expire in September. So I drove to the DMV to have it renewed. I put the driver's license on the counter and asked for a renewal. The man behind the counter gave me an amused look and told me that this would be over now. The driver's license now is only issued for the validity of the visa in your passport, so usually for a maximum of 3 months. This is a big step for the US against the illegal immigrants, because up to now they couldn't be identified if they could show a valid driver's license. Now you get a new driver's license for every vacation. In return, it is free. Best regards, Elke Remmlinger-Behnke."