It’s been months since I’ve seen any availability for Vancouver appointments. Thanks to Cyal8rUS, who posted the following comment on the “About the Isaac Brock Society” page.
“If someone with authorship privileges would be able to blog this: The Vancouver US Consulate FINALLY has new appointments available for “other” ACS services. If you have been trying to book a renunciation appointment, get there quickly. …”
The Vancouver website says; “If you would like to make an appointment to renounce or relinquish your U.S. citizenship, please email VancouverCLN@state.gov ” So, I e-mailed that address a few minutes ago and got an immediate automated reply (very comprehensive with detailed instructions). Of particular interest is this paragraph [emphasis added]:
“IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING APPOINTMENTS
If you arrive fully prepared for your appointment, we will likely
process your loss of nationality in one interview. If you do not have
the forms filled out or if you do not have all required original
evidence, you will need to return for a second appointment.”
So: (1) only one visit is required, (2) you must book through Vancouver.CLN@state.gov (not through the online calendar).
Full text of the e-mail after the arrow.
“Thank you for contacting us regarding renouncing U.S. citizenship.
Please do not reply to this email. This inbox is not monitored.
Renunciation of U.S. citizenship must 1) be taken in the presence of a
diplomatic or consular officer; 2) be taken outside the United States;
and 3) be in the precise form prescribed by the Secretary of State. It
is an irrevocable action that cannot be reversed. Should you choose to
pursue renunciation of your U.S. citizenship, you will have to complete
form DS-4079 – Request for Determination of Possible Loss of United
States Citizenship and come to the Consulate to sign an “Oath of
Renunciation of the Nationality of the United States” and a “Statement
of Understanding”. These documents form the basis for the Department of
State’s decision regarding the U.S. citizen’s request to renounce
citizenship and are enclosed for your information.Please review these additional documents before scheduling an
appointment: Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship (
http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_776.html
<http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_776.html> ), Right
of Residence in the U.S. (
http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_777.html
<http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_777.html> ), and
Dual Nationality (
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html
<http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html> ).On July 13, 2010 the Department of State implemented a fee of $450 for
administrative processing of formal renunciation of U.S. citizenship.
This fee is payable in either U.S. or Canadian dollars or by major
credit card on the day of your appointment.Once you have all forms filled out and you have gathered the required
evidence, please email vancouveracs@state.gov
<mailto:vancouveracs@state.gov> to schedule an appointment. Your email
should indicate that you read this email and that you have filled out
all your required forms and gathered all required supporting
documentation. Please include a contact phone number in your email.IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING APPOINTMENTS
If you arrive fully prepared for your appointment, we will likely
process your loss of nationality in one interview. If you do not have
the forms filled out or if you do not have all required original
evidence, you will need to return for a second appointment.At the time of your appointment you must bring:
–Completed and unsigned Form DS4079 (
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/97025.pdf
<http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/97025.pdf> )–-Completed Form DS4080 (
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/97025.pdf
<http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/97025.pdf> )–Completed Form DS4081 (
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81607.pdf
<http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81607.pdf> )–Original proof of U.S. citizenship. See this website for information
on proof of U.S. citizenship and requirements for U.S. birth
certificates:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html#step3first
<http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html#step3first> .–Original proof of other citizenship (often a valid Canadian passport).
–Original evidence of name changes, if applicable (usually marriage
certificates of official name change document).–Your NEXUS card, if you have been issued one.
–Your U.S. Social Security Card, if you have one.
–The address of your last residence in the United States.
–Original evidence of your prior expatriating act if you are
documenting a prior relinquishment of U.S. citizenship (usually a
Canadian certificate of citizenship with the date you became a Canadian
citizen). This is not required if you are currently a U.S. citizen
renouncing your U.S. citizenship. Please see this link to learn about
the difference between relinquishment and renunciation (
http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html
<http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html> ).–$450 for documentation of formal renunciation. We accept cash and
credit cards but do not accept debit or personal checks.Please refer to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Form-8854,-Initial-and-Annual-Expatriation-Statem
ent
<http://www.irs.gov/uac/Form-8854,-Initial-and-Annual-Expatriation-State
ment> for information on U.S. federal tax form 8854 “Initial and Annual
Expatriation Information Statement”.Should you have any questions please send an e-mail to
vancouveracs@state.gov. <mailto:vancouveracs@state.gov.%20> “
Note Nov. 2013: No major changes since original posting, but for an update, see E hockin’s comment below regarding modification to this s/he received in November.
At last! Vancouver’s finally getting it’s act together for those Canadians who can’t get to another embassy/consulate. Hoorah!
Almost makes me want to renounce again. 😉
Finally some progress. Its about time they got their act together. Perhaps their chief consul has changed.
Wow, that was quite detailed. Nice to see that they are finally bowing to the inevitable.
Do we have a page here at IBS with all the links and directions like this? If not, maybe we should.
I’ll be adding this to the Consulate Report Directory this evening. It’s really important always that people contact their consulate when preparing for their meeting, though, as it says at the bottom of each page of the Directory, “Procedure can vary from place to place and change over time.”
Social security card?? Does anyone know what they do with the number? London UK doesn’t ask about this
But according to Robert Stack it’s a “myth” that people are giving up their US citizenship because of FATCA. — http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/09/20/from-us-treasury-myth-vs-fatca/ .
So I wonder why the Vancouver consulate has finally gone to all the trouble to accommodate such mythical creatures. 🙂
Might consider it, but still planning on doing a trip to Banff, so I can get some photography in. Still wondering how long the accommodation will be at Vancouver Consulate. At least until they start closing the exits.
I was not asked for a social security card in Toronto. Indeed, all they asked for was my forms filled out. My Canadian passport, Canadian citizenship documents, U.S. passport and that was it.
I honestly think this is going to blow sky high soon. How many are really relinquishing or renouncing right now in Canada alone? Will we ever get the REAL numbers? What’s going to be done about it? A bigger stick? Making stiffer laws so it’s very hard to renounce?
If anyone is even thinking about getting out I feel they better hurry up. U.S. is not going to take kindly to this trend nor will they admit that their own actions have made it nearly impossible to be one of their expats.
qm, social security card is just another way to confirm you are a USC. I don’t think I have see it asked for before now. If you don’t have one, don’t worry about it.
Atticus, as with all over things USA -in terms of getting ready to boil over – it’s really just a matter of time. They have too many secrets and too many kettles on the boil. If there is going to be an American apocalypse though, let’s hope for a zombie-free one.
Social security number will also make it easier for the IRS to track you in their system. The IRS is notified of your renunciation and presumably given all relevant information.
Just received call from Vancouver Consulate in response to my Sept 27 email verifying that I had read their email and all of the information they sent and had all of my renunciation forms and documentation ready to go. The first opening I was offered was Nov 22. They are taking people in the order they received the request for appointment from those who verified they have all their documentation and have read all the info, etc. They will not book an appointment without having received that verification from the requester and will not process renunciations/relinquishments for anyone who booked an appointment using the online Notarial and Other Services. The person I spoke with was very nice and very helpful. I hope I can say the same AFTER the appointment!
The good news is that the Consulate is taking appointments – the unsaid message in all of this from the US to its overseas citizens is ‘don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out’. It is a travesty that the US government puts its own citizens in such a catch 22 – and prefers to let them renounce rather than change a completely unfair tax and reporting structure.
@Steve Klaus
That’s how I read it too.
Well, I, for one, can’t go thru the door soon enough.
The Calgary consulate asks for a SS number (page 2 of the information form) plus “Do you file U.S. income or other tax returns?” (page 3 of DS4079). I thought taxes were not a concern of the DOS but I guess they are.
Expatriation in one appointment? Yee haw!
Hasta la vista Uncle Sam, you dirty old tyrant.
Incidentally, the link to the DS4080 if you are going down the renunciation route is this: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/81606.pdf
Em, I think the filing taxes question is to determine whether or not you believe you are a citizen. Perhaps for relinquishers from way back? If they stopped filing, they truly believed they committed a relinquishing act?
And the SSN is a ubiquitous identifer in the States. It was on just about everything from school files to medical records until the last decade or so. I wouldn’t attach any particular evil to it but having one marks you as sure as a tattoo on your bum as a USC or USP.
The USP I know, refuses to get another passport, she will relinquish her expired passport (she has never renewed). As soon as she gets her Canadian passport and citizenship, she will renounce entirely and as far as we are concerned, the children who were born in Canada are not US citizens and they will be treated like Canadian citizens. The social security card was stolen and never replaced and she refuses to take any of her Canadian identification in with her. So…good luck trying to track her down. Gives us more reason to disappear into the ether after this.
@ Em, YogaGirl,
Yes, that appears to be the context of the question about taxes on the 4079, as one of the indicators that a person is/is not a USC. The 4079 is required for all relinquishments. However, not all consulates require the 4079 for renunciation.
According to the Dept of State Manual on Renunciation
My husband’s claim for relinquishment only goes back to his citizenship ceremony last month. He probably won’t know if they will accept that date or make him renounce until he gets to his appointment early next year. He took the oath to Canada with the intent of losing his US citizenship and got a document witnessed to that effect just before the ceremony. The consulate has a copy of that document so we’ll see what happens. I’m sure they will check everything on the forms he’s submitted so far.
There’s that little paranoid part of me that says…”Just drop out of sight.” But the logical part says that it’s better for her to renounce the citizenship so that she can cut the chain finally. The paranoid side says “Well…can the US consulate turn around and essentially kidnap her for not filing her taxes to the IRS? How will they know?” I probably am paranoid, but better to be paranoid when it comes to the United States as of late.
Well, I came up with a solution that pretty much involves her telling the consulate officer that they are under surveillance (by me) and that the interview be expedient and that she will be allowed to exit the consulate with the interview and renunciation completed. If I don’t see her come out of the consulate inside of 2 hours, I will be notifying the Vancouver Police that the US Consulate kidnapped her and criminal charges will be pending to all the US government workers in that building. Contrary to popular belief, the US consulate is not US soil (The US consulate is on Canadian soil and is there by leave of the Prime Minister of Canada) and the Vancouver PD will make an entrance if one of their citizens (she will be a Canadian citizen shortly) is being held against their will there.
Let’s see how Obama likes it when the Canadian Consul-General of Vancouver and all the American consulate is deported on criminal charges.
@ The_Animal
I’m certain your wife will not be kidnapped. Keep your vigil outside (I’ll be doing the same for my husband) but it really would be better that your wife not mention anything about it to the consulate staff unless she feels very threatened and there’s not much chance of that.
@pacifica,
Great news re Vancouver. I think it might have been Kermit who posted that when he was at the Vancouver consulate, he was told that appointments would open up in October. Looks to me that perhaps they had lots and lots of 2nd appointments to deal with and now have finally opened up their calendar. I know 3 or 4 recited UBC profs who will be very happy about this