COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR IMMIGRATION

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000157

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

USCIS FOR REFUGEE, ASYLUM AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA CVIS ASEC KHLS KU IZ COUNTRY CLEARANCE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR IMMIGRATION
OFFICERS HACKBARTH AND PEREZ (April 2 to 14, 2008)

REF: ROME 00156 (NOTAL)


1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance
for Immigration Officers Hackbarth and Perez to travel to
post April 2-14, 2008.


2. This clearance is not/not valid for entry into Iraq;
you must apply for Iraq clearance through Embassy
Baghdad.


3. Visit Officer: No Embassy support has been requested.

Embassy point of contact is:

Ludovic Hood, Vice Consul
Office: (965) 259-1562
Cell: (965) 968-6794
Fax: (965) 259-1438
Unclass e-mail: HoodLL@state.gov

SIPDIS


4. Lodging: N/A


5. Following is postQs 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. 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
(US 35.00) 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. If
possible, travelers should try to obtain a multiple-entry
visa before arriving in Kuwait.

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 KuwaitQs normal workweek is Sunday through
Thursday, 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 EST plus eight 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., Sunday through Thursday. At the current rate of
exchange, one Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is equivalent to
approximately USD 3.650.

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 visitorQs 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 PCQs. 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,
donQt 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 travelerQs 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 travelerQs
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 KuwaitQs Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/

Misenheimer