COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR IMMIGRATION

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000884

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

USCIS FOR REFUGEE, ASYLUM AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KHLS CVIS ASEC
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR IMMIGRATION
OFFICERS, JOSEPH HACKBARTH AND SANDRA ECHEVERRI

REF: ROME 951



1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance for
Mr. Joseph Hackbarth and Ms. Sandra Echeverri, Immigration
Officers, Department of Homeland Security to travel to post
o/a June 28, 2007.


2. Visit Officer: No Embassy support has been requested

Embassy point of contact is:

Jared Caplan, Vice Consul
Office: (965) 259-1505
Cell: (965) 760-1754
Fax: (965) 259-1438
Unclass e-mail: CaplanJS@state.gov

SIPDIS


3. Following is post's standard guidance for visitors to
Kuwait:

a. Entry Requirements: Kuwait now issues single-entry visas
to American citizens on arrival, upon presentation of a valid
passport. There is a processing fee of three (3) Kuwaiti
Dinar (KD 3.000, or USD 12.00) for each visa issued. The fee
may be paid either in KD or USD; no fee required for
diplomatic passports. Post strongly advises travelers to
carry some documentation on the purpose of their visit.
Passengers arriving on other than commercial flights should
anticipate extra delays, because immigration services are not
available on the military side of the airfield and passports
have to be carried to a different location at the airport for
processing. Airport visas are valid for 90 days after
arrival; anyone staying beyond this period must obtain an
extension, which should be requested 2 weeks prior to visa
expiration. Anyone departing Kuwait who has overstayed the
visa will be charged a fine of KD 10.000 (USD35.00) per day
at the airport. All travelers planning to visit Iraq should
make sure that they obtain the required exit/entry stamps for
each transit through Kuwait, and be aware that they will need
to obtain a new Kuwaiti visa upon return, even after a
daytrip to Baghdad. Failure to do so can result in heavy
fines. Travelers should obtain their visa upon arrival at
Kuwait International Airport.

b. Visitors are reminded that the importation of alcohol,
pork products, personal firearms, and any
suggestive/pornographic materials (videotapes, magazines or
books) is strictly prohibited by Kuwaiti law. Kuwait is
still clearing mines and munitions. Visitors must remain on
major paved roads when traveling in Kuwait. Travel north of
Jahra toward the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border is not authorized
without approval from the embassy and an appropriate escort.

c. Embassy Kuwait's normal workweek is Saturday through
Wednesday, and office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The time difference with the East Coast of the United States
is EDT plus seven hours. The embassy switchboard number is
(965) 259-1001, and the IVG number is 4950000. The
after-hours number which rings at Marine Guard Post One is
(965) 538-2098. The mission duty officer can be reached
through the embassy switchboard, Post One or by cell phone at
(965)
967-7265. The embassy pouch address is 6200 Kuwait Place,
Dulles, VA 20189-6200.

d. Threat Assessment: Kuwait is a high-threat post and the
military threatcon is currently Charlie. We have increased
security precautions at official U.S. installations in Kuwait
and recommend that all Americans in Kuwait remain alert to
their surroundings and review their personal security
practices.

e. Health Advisory for Kuwait: April through October is the
hot season in Kuwait. Temperatures reach 120-140 degrees F in
summer. Caution should be taken to prevent dehydration and
heat exhaustion by 1) drinking plenty of fluids and
2) staying indoors, especially during peak temperature hours
of noon to 3:00 p.m. (1200-1500). Low humidity coupled with
high temperatures creates excessive moisture loss from
evaporation. It is necessary to drink 2-4 quarts of water
daily to prevent dehydration.

f. Money: Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels,
restaurants and other establishments throughout Kuwait and
ATM machines are also readily available. For travelers on
official orders, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait can provide
accommodation services (cashing a personal check drawn on a
U.S. bank into local currency) up to a maximum of USD 300.00
per day from noon to 2:00 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday.

At the current rate of exchange, one Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is
equivalent to approximately USD 3.50.

g. CAA Access: Visitors who need unescorted access into
secure areas of the mission must slug cables to the attention
of the RSO, and include the level of their clearance. The
cable should include the visitor's Social Security Number,
and the name of the agency granting the clearance. Cables
should include the ASEC tag to ensure distribution to the RSO
office and the Marine Security guard at Post One.

h. Computer and Electronics Usage: Sensitive military
information has been discovered recently on business center
computers at local hotels in Kuwait City. All U.S.
Government personnel and contractors must remember that it is
their responsibility to observe good computer and information
security practices. Information processed on computers in
hotel business centers, through email correspondence or
document creation, is highly exploitable. Public computers
located in hotel business centers, internet cafes, airport
lounges, etc. should never be used to process, store or
disseminate sensitive information. Compromise of sensitive
government or military information can result in serious
damage to national security. Compromises of sensitive
personal data can result in significant personal and
financial hardship. Random checks are conducted by Embassy
personnel on public PC's. Breaches on COMPUSEC will result
in the violator receiving security infractions and/or
security violations. Interagency security standards prohibit
the introduction or use of non-USG owned computer hardware
and software at all USG diplomatic facilities. Cell phones,
palm pilots, radios and other convenience electronics are
prohibited in all secure areas of the mission.

i. Photography: Tourist photography is encouraged in Kuwait.
However, it is strictly forbidden to photograph public
buildings, economic infrastructure, or military and other
security-related facilities and personnel. Confiscation of
film and camera and even arrest may result from doing so. A
good rule of thumb: If there is any doubt as to whether a
photograph should be taken, don't take it.


j. Action Request: Each visitor, regardless of length of
stay, must bring or forward fiscal data to pay for direct
costs of the visit. Each agency, organization or visiting
delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to
their visit. Direct charge costs include, but are not
limited to: American and LES staff overtime (e.g.,
expeditor, accommodation exchange, representational event
support),field travel, lodging and meals and incidental
expenses
(M&IE) by embassy employees, vehicle rentals, long-distance
telephone calls, equipment rentals, office supplies and all
other costs that are directly attributable to the visit. If
fiscal data on a traveler's authorization is to be used for
this purpose, this information must be spelled out in the
travel orders and sufficient funding provided to meet these
expenses. In addition, for TDYers over thirty (30) days,
there will be a charge for ICASS support services. If your
sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services at
post, please be prepared to sign an ICASS Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for ICASS support services upon arrival.
The agency should provide post with written communication,
generated by the traveler's headquarters, that confirms the
agency will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provide the
agency ICASS billing code for the TDY support to be provided,
and authorize the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice
generated by the TDY module. When travel is urgent, TDYers
should bring this document with them to ensure there are no
interruptions in the provision of services. Post will not
provide any services to a TDYer staying in excess of 30 days
without having received this documentation prior to day 31 of
the TDY.

k. Visit Kuwait's Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/


4. This cable was last updated on October 30, 2006.

********************************************* *
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************* *

LeBaron