Message for US Citizens

To:                  All American Citizen

From:             Consular Section

Subject:           Message for US Citizens – December 23, 2010

The Department of State is pleased to announce the introduction of a redesigned Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, or Form FS-240).  The redesigned CRBA, which is an official record confirming that a child born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents acquired U.S. citizenship at birth and serves as proof of citizenship, has been updated with a variety of state-of-the-art
security features to help prevent fraud and identity theft.

Beginning January 18, 2011, overseas posts will still document the citizenship of children born overseas to U.S.-citizen parents, but the CRBAs will be printed at our passport agencies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New Orleans, Louisiana, using the information provided
by overseas posts.  By centralizing production and eliminating the distribution of controlled blank stock throughout the world, we will help ensure uniform quality and lessen the possibility of fraud.  Additionally, the Department will no longer issue the DS-1350 Certification of Report of Birth Abroad.  Instead, the Department will simply provide new FS-240s in response to requests for additional, replacement, or amended CRBAs.

In order to upgrade our systems for this change, the Embassy is suspending CRBA adjudication from January 1 through January 18, 2011.  CRBA applications submitted during that time will
be adjudicated after January 18.

U.S. citizens living or traveling in Lebanon are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, through the State Department's STEP website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/, so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Lebanon.  Americans without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

You can also get global updates at the U.S. Department of State's, Bureau of Consular Affairs website where you can find the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information.  If you don't have internet access, we have a call center for updates--1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The U.S. Embassy is located in Awkar, near Antelias, Lebanon.  Public access hours for U.S. citizens are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. U.S. citizens may e-mail BeirutACS@state.gov if they have questions about services provided by the section; they may also call 04 543 600 and ask for the American Citizens Services Section Mondays through Fridays between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.  Any U.S. citizen in need of emergency services outside these hours may contact the Embassy by telephone at any time.  The telephone numbers are (961-4) 542-600, 543-600, and fax 544-209. Information is available on the Embassy’s website at http://lebanon.usembassy.gov.  The Arabic language website is http://arabic.lebanon.usembassy.gov/.