Amid heavy rain, US Embassy to remain closed Thursday, reopen Friday

The United States Embassy in Manila will remain closed Thursday amid the heavy rain that fell on Metro Manila Wednesday afternoon, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said.

In a post on his Twitter account late Wednesday afternoon, Thomas said the embassy would reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday.

"The US Embassy will be closed Thursday August 9 and reopen at 10am on Friday. Everyone please stay safe and dry," he said.

His tweet came hours after the embassy announced on its website that it and its affiliated offices will reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday.

"The US Embassy in Manila and its affiliated offices will open for business on Thursday, August 9th at 10:00 a.m.," the embassy said earlier Wednesday.

At the time, it said American citizens with appointments for Aug. 7 and 8 will have their appointments re-scheduled by the Embassy.

The embassy was forced to suspend operations Tuesday and Wednesday due to bad weather conditions - heavy rain that brought floods to Metro Manila and nearby areas. — RSJ, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

US Embassy in Manila closed on May 28 for 'Memorial Day'

The United States Embassy in Manila and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Monday, May 28, in observance of Memorial Day, a US federal holiday.

Regular embassy services will resume on Tuesday, May 29, the embassy said in a news release.

Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May.

The holiday honors the men and women who have lost their lives while serving in the US military.

This holiday was originally known as Decoration Day.

It originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. - GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

New US Visa Fees Announced

MANILA, Philippines — The United States Embassy in Manila has announced that starting today, April 13, new visa fees will take effect for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas to the US.

In a press statement, the embassy said that although fees for some non-immigrant visas will increase, including tourist, business visas, and student visas and others, fees for all immigrant visas, as well as those for fiancé/fianceé visas and trader/investor visas, will decrease. It explained that the reduction in the immigrant visa fees is due to a new US law that allows the US Department of State to seek reimbursement from other federal agencies such as the US Citizenship and Immigration Service.

"US embassies must collect higher fees for tourist and other types of non-immigrant visas because US law requires the Department of State to recover the costs of processing those types of visas," said the embassy adding that the new fees more accurately reflect the costs of visa processing services as determined in a US government study completed last December.

According to the US embassy visa application fees paid before April 13 at the prior rate will be honored through July 12.

source: mb.com.ph