A conversation with Consul Carolyn Gorman on American Citizen Services

Moderator: The chat will take place at 16:00 Belgrade time or 1500GMT.

Moderator: We'd like to welcome Consul General Carolyn Gorman to our chat today live from Belgrade. We look forward to receiving your questions related to American Citizen Services in Serbia.

Sladjana: To whom May I concern; I just wanted to check status of application for visa for my husband. I am a U.S.A citizen; my husband and I applied, and had an interview with one of your consuls on December, 13 of 2006 when we where told that the whole process will take from one to three months.... We mailed you forms DS230 and DS2001 in January, and since we never received anything from you we just wanted to see if you even received those forms. Please let us know if there is anything else you need from us to speed up the process....we can't wait to go to US, and start a new life-family! My husband’s info: Uros Redzic Branka Copica F9/2 11300 Smederevo Thank you so much for your time and all the help! Sincerely, Sladjana Novakovic-Redzic 1769 Northwest blvd. Columbus OH 43212

Carolyn Gorman: Thanks for your question Sladjana. Due to privacy considerations, we cannot provide details about individual visa cases in a webchat forum. However, I can tell you that your case is moving forward and you will hear from us in writing soon. If you would like to talk to us in more detail about your case, you may call us at (381)(11) 306-4662.

Charlie: Hello Carolyn: Short of taking a bus up to Beograd how can my son Jonthan Rostocil get registered into the US Embassy data base? The Rostocils (Charles, Sandra, and Tyler) are but now our son Jon will also be living with us for the next year or so. And yes, we all are American Citizens. Please advise, thanks. Charlie

Carolyn Gorman: Thank you for your question Charlie. It's very easy for your son to register with our Embassy and he does not have to physically come to the Embassy to do it. He can simply go to our Embassy website at: http://belgrade.usembassy.gov, click on "U.S. Citizen Services" and at the bottom of the page he will find the link for registration. He should register as a "new long-term traveler." If you have any troubles at all with the internet registration procedure, please feel free to call our American Citizen Services section at 381-11-306-4860.

MILENKO: My name is Milenko Vukosavljevic. Me and my wife are American citizen. We are living in Belgrade now. We are looking for jobs. Can embessy help us to find a job?

Carolyn Gorman: That's a tough question Milenko. Unfortunately, the Embassy does not provide job search assistance to American citizens who decide to live in Serbia. As you know, unemployment is higher in Serbia than in the United States, and employment opportunities are not as plentiful as one might hope. You can see what jobs are currently being advertised at the Embassy in Belgrade by going to our website at: http://belgrade.usembassy.gov and clicking on "job opportunties" located at the bottom right of the main homepage. For jobs outside of the Embassy, we can only advise you to check the employment ads in the newspapers, with friends and relatives who may know of job opportunities that fit your skills, and with companies here in Serbia. We wish you the best of luck.

Vicky  : Is Serbia a safe place to bring my family?

Carolyn Gorman: Well, Vicky, it depends on your perception of what a "safe place" is and of course you need to make that assessment for yourself. However, I am providing you the link to our "Consular Information Sheet" for Serbia, which was just updated. It provides a variety of information on things like safety and security, crime, traffic and road conditions, etc. Generally speaking, the incidence of crime is significantly lower in Belgrade and other Serbian cities than in cities of similar size in the United States. You may find our consular information sheet at: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1014.html. If you have trouble with this link, simply go to http://www.travel.state.gov , then click on the section for International Travelers and go to the section on "consular information sheets." We wish you luck in your travels.

kamosson: Vicky, I second Carolyn's statement that Belgrade is much safer than U.S. cities. I've lived here 5 years and am still surprised at how safe it is. Crime mostly seems to float to the top - mafia and government.

Chris Farmer: I submitted a question about getting a US passport for my son. He was born here and his mother is a Serb. I am a US citizen. What is the process?

Chris Farmer: Good afternoon! I was wondering about the process of obtaining a US passport for my son. I am a US citizen and my wife is from Serbia - our son was born here in 2004.

Carolyn Gorman: Hello Chris. Belated congratulations on the birth of your son. I understand that you have already visited the Embassy regarding this inquiry. In general, a child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and a non-U.S. citizen parent can be documented as a U.S. citizen upon presentation of proper evidence of the relationship to the American parent and evidence that the American parent was physically present in the U.S. for a certain period of time before the birth of the child. You can go to our website under the U.S. citizen services section to see the detailed requirements on registering the birth of a U.S. citizen child and obtaining a passport. The website link is: http://belgrade.usembassy.gov/consular/uscs/children.html. If you have further questions, please feel free to call us at: 306-4860.

Suhrob  : Does Serbia have any student exchange programs with the US?
Carolyn Gorman: Hi Suhrob - are you referring to programs for American Citizens to study in Serbia or vice versa?

Suhrob  : Would you recommend rail travel to American citizens visiting Serbia? I want to travel from Bucharest to Belgrade.

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Suhrob - you really need to make the decision for yourself, but in general we would reccommend against rail travel, mainly due to issues associated with petty crime on the trains and the infrequent connections between Bucharest and Belgrade.

Hany2: How can an American Citizen register with the Embassy.

Carolyn Gorman: Thanks for your question! Please visit http://belgrade.usembassy.gov/consular/uscs.html  and scroll to the bottom of the page - you can click the "Travel Registration - IBRS" link and register online.

Cassandra: Hello Carolyn. I am new to Belgrade and have heard that for a feww I can do some grocery shopping at the embassy. Can you provide some details about this? Thank you, Cassandra

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Cassandra - unfortunately we don't provide this service for American citizens in Belgrade. Many of the local chains provide a wide variety of products similar to those found in the U.S.

sstevan: My name is Stevan Stanisic, I am glass artist and american citizen living in Sombor, Serbia. Can you tell me is there American Art and the ART in Embassies Program in Serbia and how to get more informations about it? Thank you very much, this web chat is great. Best regards, Stevan

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Stevan - yes, we do support the Art in Embassies program here in Serbia. You can use the following link to get more infomation about the program, and on how to submit art for consideration if you are interested in displaying your work here or anywhere else in the world. http://aiep.state.gov/

kamosson: Suhrob, I've done the Belgrade-Bucharest train twice without problems. Both times I travelled with colleagues, however. It runs 1xday and almost every day. Much cheaper than other ways of travel between the two cities. Don't expect western european trains, the trains are old. You get fresh sheets though if you take a sleeper car, which I highly recommend for the 12 trip.

Suhrob  : I wanted to know about the possibility of Serbian students studying in the US.

Carolyn Gorman: We actually have a number of programs and scholarships which help students study in the U.S., both for undergraduate and high school students. You can find more information via the links below - both are fairly competitive and provide for a year of education in various U.S. cities and institutions.

Vicky  : Can I bring pets with me from the U.S. to Serbia if I decide to move there?
Carolyn Gorman: Hi Vicky - we suggest you contact the Serbian Embassy in the United States - they can provide you with more information regarding their specific requirements for bringing your pets into the country. EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA 2134, Kalorama Road, N.W. WASHINGTON.D.C.20008 USA Ivan Vujacic PhD, Ambassador Phone 1 202 / 332-0333 Fax: 1 202 / 332-3933, 332-5974 E-mail: info@serbiaembusa.org Web site: http://www.serbiaembusa.org

MilanBelgrade: Ms Gorman, I'm an American Citizen as we as Serbian. How long can I stay here in Serbia? Are there any job opportunities in the Embassy here in Belgrade? Thanks

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Milan - it really depends on if you have dual citizenship. If you only have American citizenship you can stay in country for up to 90 days without a visa, but you must register with the police within 24 hours if you are not staying at a hotel. As far as job opportunities are concerned, I can only point you to our website where internal job announcements are listed. Good luck! http://belgrade.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/index.html

kamosson: Hi Carolyn. I am a U.S. citizen. My wife is a Chilean citizen. We married last year in Texas and did not have time to apply for a SSN or other docs necessary for her to get a permanent (Green card?) visa. Can we start the process here in Belgrade? If so, what is the process? Thanks.

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Kamosson - if you could provide us with your e-mail address via belgradeacs@state.gov we can answer in greater detail.

vanja5rovic: Dear Ms. Gorman, I'm an American Citizen living and working in Belgrade at the moment and would like to know whether there are any restrictions to my length of stay outside the States. Is there a time frame when I need to re-enter the States? Thank you for your time and input. BR. Vanja

Carolyn Gorman: Hi Vanja - as an American citizen there is no time frame for when you need to re-enter the U.S. That requirement only exists for green card holders. Thanks for your question!

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