Ask the Consul is your chance to ask the Consul General at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad your visa related questions.  To see answers to your questions featured in this column in the Embassy’s bi-monthly magazine Khabr-o-Nazar, please write to paknivinfo@state.gov with the subject line "Ask the Consul."

Summer 2011

1. What is American Citizen Services?
   American Citizen Services (ACS) is a unit of the Embassy and consulates in Lahore and Karachi devoted to assisting and providing information to Americans abroad. We visit Americans in jail, assist families and friends following the death of a U.S. citizen loved one, offer help to U.S. children and families involved in abduction, custody, support and other cases, check on the welfare of U.S. citizens, provide routine notary services, can help U.S. citizens register to vote in U.S. elections, and provide U.S. citizens with information on safety and security in Pakistan.
2. I am a U.S. citizen. My child was born in Pakistan. How do I register my child?
   First, congratulations on the birth of your child! Whenever an American citizen child is born outside the U.S., a legal document called the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is issued to the child if the child can be confirmed as a U.S. citizen. The CRBA serves as original evidence of U.S. citizenship and functions the same way as a birth certificate does in the U.S. You can go the U.S. Embassy’s Web site and make an appointment: http://islamabad.usembassy.gov.
3. My child was born in Pakistan. I am a U.S. citizen. How do I know if my child is a U.S. citizen?
   Under U.S. law, a child of a U.S. parent born overseas after 1986 must present evidence that you, the U.S. citizen parent resided in the U.S. for a at least five years, two after the age of 14 and submit all the required application documents. Please visit our Web site for additional information, including making an appointment for a CRBA and the requirements for children born prior to 1986.
4. I am visiting relatives in Pakistan and my passport is expiring next month. I would like to renew it at the U.S. Embassy.
   You can renew your U.S. passport at the U.S. Embassy. You will need to make an appointment for a passport renewal through our Web site at http://islamabad.usembassy.gov. ACS recommends U.S. citizens renew their passports at least one month before expiration.
5. What if I need to apply for an emergency passport?
   ACS highly encourages U.S. citizens to have a valid U.S. passport at all times and to renew the passport well in advance of any anticipated travel plans to avoid any inconveniences. With that said, ACS understands that situations arise where an emergency passport is required. Please contact ACS at ACS_Islamabad@state.gov concerning emergency appointments. Remember, you can renew your U.S. passport before it expires!
6. I am an American Citizen and my Pakistani visa has expired. Will the U.S. Embassy assist me in obtaining my visa?
   The U.S. Mission in Pakistan is unable to assist in extending visas. Visitors / Residents may apply for extension of stay at the following address: Section Officer (Visas) Ministry of Interior - Pakistan Secretariat, ‘R’ block Islamabad. Tel: 051-920-7290
7. What if there is an earthquake or another crisis and I need to leave the country immediately; how will ACS help me?
   ACS provides you with security and safety information about Pakistan. The U.S. Department of State encourages all U.S. citizens to register their trips with the U.S. Embassy online at www.travel.registration.gov to receive any travel warnings while traveling in Pakistan. ACS also encourages U.S. citizens to e-mail their mobile numbers and names to ACS_Islamabad@state.gov. ACS will text information concerning security and pertinent information during a crisis. 
8. How does ACS protect my privacy? 
   Protecting your privacy as a U.S. citizen is a top priority of ACS. ACS does not release any information concerning you without  explicit statement authorizing us to do so and to whom. As a U.S. your citizen, you are protected under the Privacy Act passed by Congress in 1974, which states that a Consular officer cannot release information about you to anyone without your written consent, except as set forth in the Act.
9. How can I stay connected with American Citizen Services?
   ACS is on facebook and twitter! You can like our page: http://www.facebook.com/IslamabadACS and follow us at http://twitter.com/ACSIslamabad.