What's that green I-94W form doing in my passport still?

 
Visa Waiver Departure Record I-94W

All visa-free travelers to the United States are asked to fill out a green arrival/departure record form I-94W, before admission (the white I-94 applies to travelers with a visa). The departure record part you must return to the U.S. Custom and Border Protection (USCBP) upon your departure. But if you forget this, it could be a problem for future visits as there will be no record of you leaving the U.S. Thus it may appear you violated the conditions for visa-free travel and you may be found inadmissible and turned around on a next trip. So if you have returned from your visit with your green I-94W visa waiver slip in your passport still, here's what to do and what not to do: 

• Carefully follow the instructions offered by the USCBP. Here you will find where in the United States you must send your departure record.
• Do NOT send your departure record to the Consulate in Amsterdam. This office has no means or authority to process it. You must close your entry record by sending it to USCBP in the United States (see instructions above).

Of course these same instructions help out if you visited with a visa, and find your white I-94 departure record is still in your passport.

U.S. IRS warns of Phony E-mails claiming to be from the IRS

Following a recent increase in scam emails, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reminds individuals in Europe to be on the lookout for bogus emails claiming to be from the U.S. tax agency.

The IRS does not send out unsolicited e-mails.  The IRS never asks people for the PIN numbers, passwords or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank or other financial accounts.

Also, U.S. taxpayers do not have to complete a special form or provide detailed financial information to obtain a refund.  Refunds are based on information contained on the federal income tax return filed by the taxpayer.

The only genuine Internal Revenue Service (IRS) web-site is www.irs.gov.

For the full IRS warning, please visit the IRS pages of the website of the American Embassy in Germany.

American Consulate General Amsterdam website turns one!

April 2, 2008  Exactly one year ago today, this website went live. We at the Consulate General in Amsterdam feel it has served us well in, we hope, serving you well. But we always welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement. You can send and e-mail to our webmaster at: ircthehague@state.gov .

ATTENTION ALL VISA APPLICANTS!

March 27, 2008  Effective April 1, 2008, the official dollar-euro exchange rate is $1 = €0.68.  This means that non-immigrant visa applicants must transfer an application fee of €89.08 (= $131), prior to coming in for their visa interview.

Please see our visa application pages for the complete instructions for preparing a visa application in Amsterdam.

The new exchange rate also applies to all consular fees, e.g. passport application fees, notarials, immigrant visa fees, etc.

See our payment instructions pages for more details.

Press Reports on Currency Exchange in Amsterdam

March 20, 2008  A report in the International Herald Tribune on March 19, 2008, stated that some currency exchange bureaus in Amsterdam had stopped changing U.S. dollars into euro. The Consulate General has verified that the exchange providers in Amsterdam, listed on our website as a courtesy, are currently providing currency exchange services for dollars. The list, which is not meant to be an exhaustive list, can be found on our Transferring and Changing Money page.

For over sixty years on the Museumplein, Amsterdam

March 19, 2008  Today, exactly 60 years ago, the building known as Museumplein 19, Amsterdam, was purchased by the United States Government to be used as 'a permanent office for the Consulate General'.

March 19, 1948, the Ambassador and a representative of the 'Nederlandsche Beheersinstituut, the Dutch organization that controlled former German property, signed the contract at the American Embassy in The Hague.

The event was duly recorded in the Miscellaneous Records Book of the time. Click on the picture for  a larger view.

More on the history of the American Consulate General in The Netherlands.

INTRODUCTION OF APPOINTMENT SYSTEM FOR AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES

February 15, 2007 The Consulate General in Amsterdam is delighted to announce the introduction of a mandatory appointment system for all non-emergency American Citizen Services (applications for passports, Reports of Birth Abroad, extra visa pages, notarial services).  After March 3, 2008, these services will be available by appointment only. For more information, or to make an appointment, please visit the U.S. Citizen Services page (click here). A special edition of the Consulate's monthly newsletter Consul's Corner is dedicated to the new appointment system. Click here to read it.

Staff of the Consulate General in Amsterdam attended the Immigration Fair 2008

March 10, 2008  Interested immigrants formed queues at the U.S. Consulate General exhibit at the Immigration Fair (Emigratiebeurs) March 8 and 9 near Utrecht. The annual event drew thousands of people interested in moving to another country. At the Consulate's exhibit the most popular questions were regarding immigration based on working or investing in the U.S. Many potential immigrants noted that the strong Euro has made immigration through investment more appealling. The Diversity Visa Lottery was another popular topic. For more information about how to immigrate to the U.S., visit our immigrant visa pages.

NEW - Passports by mail!

February 1, 2008 The Consulate General in Amsterdam is pleased to announce that we have received authorization to accept certain passport applications for adults by mail, effective today, February 1, 2008. From now on it will be possible to use mail services to renew most adult passports, apply for additional visa pages, apply for a new passport if your name has changed through marriage or divorce, or replace an emergency passport with a regular passport. Please check our detailed instruction pages and prepare your application thoroughly. We have provided tips and checklists to help you avail yourself of this service that will save you time.

Not all passport services are available through the mail. Some applications will still have to be done in person in Amsterdam, e.g. when you need to apply for a passport for a child, or if you currently hold a five-year passport. You will find the conditions for mail-in-passport services in our Passport Services pages. A special edition of our consular newsletter is dedicated to this new service: Consul's Corner Passport Special.

New Passport Fee Schedule Starting February 1, 2008

January 31, 2008  Beginning February 1, 2008, the Department of State will institute a new fee schedule for passport services.  In addition, the age for which both parents must appear and sign a passport application on behalf of a child will increase from 14 to 16 years old.

Fees are being adjusted to cover the cost of providing efficient and secure passport services including infrastructure, technology and staff.  The Passport Execution fee collected by passport acceptance centers and U.S. consular sections abroad is being reduced from $30 to $25.
For a full overview of passport fees, please see our U.S. citizen services section.

Consul Dan King discusses U.S. immigration policy with students at Ludger College in Doetinchem. 

January 31, 2008  Students are studying the integration and assimilation of immigrants into existing cultures.   Following a hands-on demonstration of challenges presented by language integration, Mr. King and the students debated immigration policies.  The Ludger College students were well prepared for the discussion and posed many interesting questions.

A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Important Change in Application Process for passports for children coming soon!

January 16, 2007  As of February 1, 2008, the two-parent consent requirement for all passport services will be extended to include all children under 16.  This requirement is currently in effect for all children under age 14.  Either both parents must be present to provide signatures at the time of passport application, or in the event one parent cannot attend, provide notarized statement of consent and identification.  Alternately, the applying parent may present a death certificate or sole custody order for the child.  Please see our section on Passport for Minors for more details.

A Fire Station called 'DIRK'

January 14, 2008 Consul General Marjorie Ames, Defense Attache Devon Goldsmith and Mrs. Goldsmith visited the "Dirk Fire Station". They were hosted by Station Manager Hendrik Barink and Crew Chief Willem Stein. Captain and Mrs. Goldsmith exchanged with Mr. Barink a shirt from their son-in-law's fire station in Leesburg, Florida for a shirt from the Amsterdam fire squad, continuing a longstanding tradition among different fire services worldwide. The Amsterdam firemen provided a detailed briefing on their activities and a tour of their station, which is the oldest continually operating fire house in Europe. More photos ...

Amsterdam Consular Officer meets with University of Amsterdam Students

January 11, 2008  Chief of the American Citizen Services Unit Consul Alfred Boll spoke to the Machiavelli Students Association at the University of Amsterdam regarding US primary elections.  The Association is sending a group of political science students to Florida to observe the primaries there as part of their studies at the University of Amsterdam.  Professor of American Studies Rob Kroes gave a lecture on the development and nature of primaries in the United States, followed by a general discussion.  Members of the Students Association visited the Consulate General in 2007 after a trip to meet with various US government agencies in New York City.

Machiavelli students	Consul Alfred Boll	Professor Kroes