| STATEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC |
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| Friday, 24 July 2009 00:00 | ||
STATEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC
Chicago, IL (24.07.2009) We are informing citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) in the United States that the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago started with the acquisition of biometric data for BIH passports. So that our citizens are better informed about the new system for issuing passports we are issuing this announcement for the public with a list of commonly asked questions and answers which will further clarify the new system.
Q: How do I make a request for a passport?
A: A request for getting a passport as well as documenting your personal identification number (JMB) has to be sent either through our website at (www.gkbihcikago.com) or has to be faxed (1-312-951-1043). If you have an identity card from Bosnia and Herzegovina issued after the year 2003 (by the CIPS program) your appointment for the acquisition of biometric data can be made right away. If you do not have an identity card issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the CIPS program or if your personal identification number has not been documented by the diplomatic-consular agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, you first have to document your personal identification number.
Q: When do I need to turn in a request for a passport?
A: We suggest that the request for a passport be turned in 2-3 months before your current passport expires.
Q: How long is the process for issuing a passport with the new system?
A: The legal limit for issuing a passport abroad is 60 days. The citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina who do not have an identity card done by the CIPS program, first we have to document your personal identification number (JMB). The time for documenting the personal identification numbe (JMB) is not included in earlier mentioned legal limit for issuing passports abroad.
Q: Is it true that it is no longer possible to make a request for a passport by mail?
A: Yes. Because we started a new system for issuing passports, the requests for issuing passports can no longer be made by mail, but instead it is required to personally come in to the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago.
Q: Why do I have to personally come in to the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago?
A: In order to get a BIH passport, it is required to acquire your biometric data; taking your picture, acquiring your fingerprint, and an electronic signature. The acquisition of biometric data is done by the employees of the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago, therefore on the premises of the Consulate.
Q: Will the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago pay for my airplane ticket to Chicago?
A: No. The Diplomatic-Consular agencies BIH in the world are not able to cover expenses associated with the transportation of our citizens for the aquisition of biometric data.
Q: Are you going to organize consular days outside of Chicago?
A: It is our intention to organize consular days in areas that are further from Chicago. During consular days we will be able to acquire biometric data by mobile biometric stations. We will organize consular days as soon as required technical pre-requisites are made. We are currently working on this issue together with Bosnian authorities. But, the acquisition of biometric data during consular days is going to be possible only for those BIH citizens who already documented their personal identification number (JMB).
Q: Could I use the immigration institutions in the United States to give my fingerprint?
A: No. The fingerprinting process has to be given to BIH authorities during the acquisition of data for getting a particular document.
Q: What does the term “documenting” your personal identification number (JMB)?
A: In 2003 the project CIPS program created an electronic database of data all of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH). All of the citizens who got an identity card by the CIPS system are already in this database. Many of the citizens of BIH who live in the United States do not have a BIH identity card; these citizens are not in this database.
In fact, documenting the JMB means that your data that is currently located in the citizenship books in Bosnia is now being switched to a computer and therefore are becoming a part of an electronic database in BIH.
Q: My personal identification number is written inside of my passport. Does that mean that my JMB has been documented?
A: A personal identification number has been documented only for those citizens who have an identity card made in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the year 2003 by the CIPS program. Otherwise your JMB has not been documented.
Q: I currently have a BIH passport that has not expired. Is this passport still valid? A: Yes. Your passport is valid until its expiration date.
Q: Am I going to get a new biometric passport after giving my biometric data?
A: Yes.
Q: Will we have to get visas when we get a passport done by the new system?
A: The talks about freeing the regime of visas with the European Union (EU) are still going on. Therefore, until the time that EU cancels the visa system, it is required to have visas for traveling to countries in the EU.
Q: Why is there a need to document the JMB for the citizens who do not need a BIH passport?
A: By documenting your JMB you become a part of an electronic database of data. With this act you are not required to give us your certificate of birth and certificate of citizenship because your data will be in the electronic database of data.
Q: How long is the process of documenting the JMB?
A: The legal limit for documenting the JMB by the authorities in BIH is 15 days. We remind you that because of the start of the new system, certain authorities do break this legal limit.
Q: What do I need to do to document my JMB?
A: The procedure of documenting your JMB is done by the Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Chicago by getting us the following documents:
Q: Where can I get the JMB-7 form and all of the required instructions?
A: On our website www.gkbbihcikago.com you will find all of the required instructions as well as a link by which you can request a passport for getting a BIH passport.
CONSUL GENERAL Eldin Kajevic
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STATEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC
