Why an Estimated 100,000 Americans Abroad Face Passport Problems
Consular appointments for U.S. citizens overseas are nearly impossible to come by as many embassies, plagued by Covid restrictions and staff reductions, remain all but closed.
Yona Shemesh, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who lives in Israel, ended up paying $450 to a broker for a booked appointment to renew his American passport. He tried for eight months to do so himself at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.Credit.Tanya Habjouqa for The New York Times
By Debra Kamin
May 6, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ET
Yona Shemesh, 24, was born in Los Angeles, but he moved to Israel with his family at age 9. In July 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was raging, he booked a ticket to Los Angeles to visit his grandparents in June 2021, knowing that he would have nearly an entire year to renew his American passport, which had long since expired.
It was a romance steeped in international intrigue, and it landed Alina López Miyares in a Cuban prison. How much did she know about the web that entangled her?
Grounded last year and thinking of traveling again? Your questions answered
The word on whether to travel in the pandemic is changing as more Americans get vaccinated. Some things to know if you plan to go.
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Published 2 hours ago
After more than a year of being grounded by the coronavirus pandemic, and with millions of Americans getting vaccinated, some are considering hitting the open road and open skies again.
So is traveling safe in the time of coronavirus? Is it right? If so, where should you go?
Some tips if youâre considering a trip.
Is it safe to travel right now?
Saturday, May 01, 2021, 13:29 GMT+7
Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie C. Damour gestures in an interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper at its headquarters on April 7, 2021. Photo: T.T.D. / Tuoi Tre
Marie Damour is one of a few high-level American diplomats in Vietnam who have an intimate connection with Ho Chi Minh City.
After first coming to the city in 2002, she left and then returned 17 years later for a new position U.S. Consul General in the city.
Damour welcomed
Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper for an open talk ahead of this long holiday weekend to celebrate Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers Day (May 1).