Important notice
Please be advised that the consular section will be closed to the public the third Wednesday of every month for staff development. This includes the visa unit, american citizen services and notarial services. No items will be available for pick up. Services will resume on the next business day We regret any inconvenience.
PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

13 April 08
Remarks by Ambassador David H. Wilkins at the Global Futures Forum in Vancouver, B.C. April 13, 2008.

13 - 15 March 08
North American Issues Conference.
Consul General Lewis Lukens was the keynote luncheon speaker at the conference on North American Issues : Designing Institutions, Choosing Policies , held at University of British Columbia. The March 13-15, 2008 event was presented by The Network on North American Studies in Canada and the United States Studies Program at UBC. [Read More].

11 - 13 March 08
Ambassador Wilkins visits Kelowna and Vancouver March 11 - 13.
Ambassador David Wilkins spent two days in British Columbia. He addressed the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce on March 12. The following day he visited Canadian troops and Afghanistan veterans at Jericho Barracks in Vancouver. After attending a roundtable discussion on the border and trade hosted by the Canadian American Business Council he delivered the keynote address at the CABC luncheon.

In the afternoon the Ambassador toured the GLOBE 2008 Conference and Trade Fair at Canada Place. Ambassador Wilkins visited booths in the U.S. pavillion, hearing about the latest technologies in alternative energy, maintaining air and water quality, green construction and urban environmental management. [View the Slideshow]

6 March 08
U.S. Embassy Ottawa Public Affairs Officer Engages University of British Columbia Students on South Asia
During a March 6 presentation to a University of British Columbia class on South Asian politics U.S. Embassy Ottawa PAO Linda Cheatham talked with the students about life and work at the U.S. Embassies in Kabul and Islamabad, as well as the U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai, since September 11, 2001. [Read More].

4 March 08
USTR Disappointed with Mixed Tribunal Decision on Softwood Lumber. Statement from the United States Representative.

21 February 08
Consul General Lewis Lukens moderated a panel discussion on cross border travel at the International Mobility and Trade Corridor Project 2008 Annual General Assembly Meeting, in Bellingham, Washington. The panel, which included representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canadian Border Services Agency, focused on trusted travel programs, especially NEXUS, and on new documentary requirements at the border. More information on the meeting can be found at www.wcog.org/imtc.

10 February 08
TALK ABOUT THE U.S. AND CANADA
Consul General Lewis Lukens addressed 30 students of a Canadian-American Relations class at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby on February 10, 2008. After speaking on the role of the US Consulate in Vancouver, the wide range of issues the Consulate covers, and his reflections after being in Vancouver for three years, the students enthusiastically questioned the Consul General. Topics of interest covered Iraq, the Canada-US border, drug smuggling, security and prosperity, and Canadian trade with the US. Jim Dandridge from the State Department’s Office of the Inspector General and Political Science/Economic Intern Brianne Coffey accompanied the Consul General.

07 February 08
Consul General Vancouver officer shares development expertise
On February 7, Management Officer Robbie Marks joined a panel of academics and development professionals for a talk to fifty interested UBC students on “Applying a Critical Lens to Local and International Development.” Drawing on his experience working on development issues for the US Embassy in Burundi as well as his grass-roots experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eritrea, Robbie gave a talk on how to tailor development projects to the needs of local communities and ensure their sustainability. Having worked in humanitarian relief both for the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, Robbie also answered questions from students on how they could get involved in assisting communities in the developing world.

16 January 08
Consul General Lukens addressed the Greater Nanaimo Chambers of Commerce Annual Membership Luncheon. On this, his third visit to Nanaimo, he discussed US-Canada relations with a focus on new border documentary requirements. He also discussed Canada’s important role in Afghanistan and described the importance of the huge US-Canada trade relationship.

15 January 08
Consul General Lukens spoke at the Border Regions in Transition Conference, in Bellingham. The conference began with two days of sessions at the University of Victoria and ended with two days at Western Washington University's Bellingham campus. More than 100 scholars from Mexico and Europe, as well as Canada and the United States, attended. Lukens spoke about specific examples of local communities and cross border regions in helping to shape national policies as they relate to border management.

9 January 08
Cross-border shoppers are likely to see a new US$5 bill when the bank note starts circulating March 13.
The bill will have a new purple tint around President Abraham Lincoln. A big numeral “5” is on the back, not so much a counterfeiting deterrent as an aide for the visually impaired.
The many new security features being added to the $5 bill are fully described on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website.
Gregory Almaraz, Resident Agent in Charge of the Secret Service office at U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver, says he and his staff are available to brief merchant and banking groups on the new currency and how to detect counterfeit US currency. Please direct any inquiries to pavancouver@state.gov.

SECURITY NOTICE TO ALL CONSULAR VISITORS.

May 2008: Making Partnerships - Working with the Pacific Northwest Economic Region One of the greatest rewards of serving as US Consul General is the opportunity to form partnerships with so many government offices and non-governmental organizations. We can only do our job well of representing the United States in Western Canada if we work in collaboration with concerned citizens and groups on both sides of the border[More].

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), for entry into the United States at land or sea borders, as of January 31, 2008:
- Oral declarations of citizenship alone will no longer be accepted;
- U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older will need to present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate;
- Children ages 18 and under will only be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate;
- Passports and trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, FAST, and SENTRI - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel. All existing nonimmigrant visa and passport requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by this change. A passport has been required for air travel since January 23, 2007. [read more on WHTI]
NEW. Entry requirements at land or sea borders in effect June 1, 2009:
Washington -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. The WHTI final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. WHTI establishes document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These document requirements will be effective June 1, 2009 [Press Release] [FAQs] .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) jointly operate the NEXUS trusted traveler program. To learn more about NEXUS, enroll in the program online or renew an expiring NEXUS card, click here.

Department of Homeland Security
Traveler Redress Inquiry Program
Travelers can now resolve possible watch list misidentification and travel screening problems with any of the department’s component agencies with DHS TRIP, an easy to use web site.

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