Search Results for agency_names:"State Department"

The Department of State is seeking public comments on its proposed renewal of the application form for a U.S. passport, known as form DS-11. This form is used to gather necessary information from individuals or households for issuing passports. Recent updates to the form include a statement that applicants are not required to register as sex offenders and a change to request "sex" instead of "gender" in alignment with a recent Executive Order. The form can be downloaded online or obtained from passport agencies and U.S. consulates, and must be submitted with evidence of citizenship and identity. The public has until March 17, 2025, to submit comments.

The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation will hold a virtual open meeting on March 1, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. They will discuss the progress of the Foreign Relations series. People who want to attend the meeting must RSVP by February 19, 2021, to Julie Fort at FortJL@state.gov. Questions about the meeting should be directed to Adam M. Howard at history@state.gov.

The Secretary of State has placed sanctions on Saqr Rustom and the National Defense Forces for their role in disrupting a ceasefire in northern Syria. This decision, made effective on November 9, 2020, blocks their property and interests in the United States, preventing any transactions involving such assets. The action is in accordance with Section 2(a)(i)(A) of Executive Order 13894, highlighting their involvement in obstructing peace efforts.

The Department of State has issued a new rule updating the eligibility for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). This change, effective December 10, 2024, now includes the surviving spouses and children of U.S. Government employees who have served faithfully for 15 years or were killed in the line of duty abroad. The rule aims to support recruitment and retention of local employees by ensuring their families can receive visas if the employee dies. These updates are in response to the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (ESSAA) and reflect the Department's efforts to enhance diplomatic staff's conditions globally.

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (ACPD) will hold a public meeting in person and online to discuss how China uses public diplomacy to achieve its goals. This meeting will take place on January 16, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. It is open to the public and requires online registration to attend. The ACPD, established in 1948, evaluates and supports strategies to influence global audiences and reports its findings to U.S. leadership.

The U.S. Department of State has announced that certain art pieces from the Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin are being imported for temporary display at the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas and the Albuquerque Museum in New Mexico. These artworks, which are part of an exhibition on modern art and politics in Germany from 1910 to 1945, have been deemed culturally significant and in the national interest for display in the United States. The public notice of this determination will be published in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of State has made determinations about certain culturally significant objects imported from abroad. These objects are to be temporarily displayed in an exhibition called "The First Homosexuals" at the Wrightwood 659 Gallery in Chicago, Illinois, organized by the Alphawood Foundation. The exhibition is deemed to be in the national interest of the United States. Reed Liriano from the U.S. Department of State is the contact person for more information on this matter.

The Department of State is seeking public comments on the submission of the Affidavit of Relationship (AOR) to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. This form is part of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and helps certain family members of U.S. residents apply for refugee resettlement. The AOR is used to prove family ties and requires DNA testing to verify relationships, with costs covered by the government. The collection aims to ensure proper functioning and minimize the burden on respondents, and public comments will be accepted until January 15, 2025.

The Department of State is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for revised information collection related to the Foreign Diplomatic Services Applications. They are inviting public comments on this proposal as per the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The public can submit their feedback by March 15, 2021, using various means such as online submissions, email, or mail. This effort is to ensure the information collection aids in managing benefits and privileges for foreign missions effectively, while also seeking to reduce the reporting burden through improved methods.

The Department of State issued a final rule to update the civil monetary penalties (CMP) it imposes due to inflation, following guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. This adjustment is based on the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act and requires annual modifications. The new penalties will affect various parts of the department's regulations, such as fraud, chemical weapons, arms exports, and lobbying activities and will apply to offenses assessed from February 2, 2021, onward.