2005 Programs

Chat: U.S. Citizen Services - December 15, 2005

A Consular Officer from the American Citizen Services Section conducted an on-line chat session from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. today to answer questions on American Citizen Services.

Chat: U.S. Non-Immigrant Visas - December 1, 2005

A Consular Officer from the Visa Section conducted an on-line chat session from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to answer questions on non-immigrant visas. Questions answered included info about the new visa for Australians to work in the U.S., the E-3 visa.

The transcript will be available on the website.

Australia's 2006 Eisenhower Fellow - Professor Melissa Little - November 10

Professor Melissa Little from The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) has been selected as Australia's 2006 Eisenhower Fellow, the first Queenslander in 32 years to receive the honour. Sir Leo Hielscher was awarded a Fellowship in 1973.

The Eisenhower Fellowship is a prestigious program that brings together 25 emerging leaders from around the world for two months of professional networking opportunities in the United States. Prof. Little will travel to Philadelphia in March 2006 for the Fellowship Program.

The Eisenhower Fellowships was founded in 1953 as a tribute to Dwight D Eisenhower from his friends as he assumed the US presidency, and recognises individuals of outstanding achievement who are expected to assume positions of influence.

American Navy Ship USS Frank Cable Visits Brisbane - November 7

BRISBANE, Australia - USS Frank Cable (AS 40) arrived in Brisbane, Australia, Nov. 7 for the submarine tender's first visit Down Under since 2003.

The ship is in Brisbane to allow the 1,200-person crew to take in the culture and history of Australia and enjoy the country's world-famous hospitality.

Only one of two submarine tenders in the U.S. Navy, Frank Cable is homeported in Guam, and as the Pacific Fleet's only submarine tender, readily deploys throughout the Western Pacific to such ports as South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan to provide services to both submarines and surface ships in the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility.

For more information about Frank Cable, visit the ship's Web site at www.cable.navy.mil.

Brisbane Writers' Festival - September 29-October 2

The U.S. Consulate General supported the U.S. writers who appeared in the 2005 Brisbane Writers' Festival, September 29-October 2. The U.S. writers included fantasy writer Jeff VanDerMeer who held a masterclass for writers in Cairns; biographer Norman Sherry; and "Saddle Club" author, Bonnie Bryant. VanDerMeer and Australian writer Nick Earls lead a discussion on regional distinctiveness in writing at the Cairns City Council Library.

Alumni dinner - September 28

On September 28 the Consul General, Stephen T. Smith, hosted a dinner in Brisbane for 14 Queenslanders, alumni from the Dept. of State exchange programs. The group was testament to the diversity and high level of achievement attained by exchange participants.

Six programs were represented at the dinner, the Eisenhower Education Fellowship; Australian Young Political Leaders Program; Harvard Trade Union Program; International Visitor Leadership Program; American Dance Theatre, International Choreographers program; and the Summer Institute for the Study of the U.S. for University Educators.

Alum attending the dinner spanned over thirty years of exchange programs in Australia, from 1973 to 2004, and represent some of the highest achievers in their fields.

Dr. Gerard Finin - September 27

Dr. Gerard Finin, Deputy Director of the East-West Center's Pacific Islands Development Program visited Brisbane on September 27 to speak about issues of security and democracy in the southwest Pacific. Dr. Finin met with government officials, academics, and East-West Center alumni to discuss security and good governance issues in the Pacific region.

A Consular Officer from the Visa Section conducted an on-line chat session from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on August 25 to answer questions on visas for family members of American Citizens.

If you have any further questions please send them to amvisa@state.gov

The Role of Bilateral and Multilateral Agreements in Global Trade Liberalization - August 8-16, 2005

The Cato Institute's Director of Trade Policy Studies, Daniel Griswold, visited Australia on August 8-16 to discuss the role of bilateral and multilateral agreements in global trade liberalization. He met with government officials, lobbyists, academics, students and businesspersons in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. Perhaps the highlight of his visit was addressing the inaugural session of the new "Confucius Institute" at the University of Western Australia. Griswold's vigorous advocacy of free trade, observations on Sino-Australian FTA negotiations, and characterization of its possible impact on U.S. relations with both countries were timely and well received by the audience.

U.S. Passport & Citizenship Chat - July 19, 2005

A Consular Officer conducted an online chat session on July 19 to discuss a variety of Passport and Citizenship issues.

Many people participated in the chat and found the service very useful. Additional information about Passport and Citizenship issues can be found on our U.S. Citizen Services page.

Mr. Tom Ashley, the Regional Federal Benefits Officer for the Asia Pacific Region conducted an on-line chat session on June 9 to discuss a variety of Social Security Administration issues including:

Information about Social Security issues can be found at www.ssa.gov. Individual inquires may be directed to the Social Security Office in Manila by e-mail to ssad.varo.manila@ssa.gov.

Seventh Fleet Command Ship calls on Cairns - May 31, 2005

May 31: USS Blue Ridge, the command ship for the Pacific fleet, visited Cairns for a few days last week much to the delight of her crew who took advantage of some shore leave to relax in the popular tourist destination. USS Blue Ridge is in Australia to participate in the Talisman Saber joint exercise which will see over 11,000 US and 6,000 Australian defence personnel carry out a joint exercise off the Queensland coast during June. For more information on Talisman Saber visit www.c7f.navy.mil/TS05 and www.defence.gov.au/talisman_sabre.

Sailors from the ship took time out to visit local schools and talk with students about life on the ship answer questions about the navy and America. Students at Peace Lutheran College and Cairns Christian College gave the sailors a warm welcome and even practiced speaking a little Japanese with the crew who are based in Yokosuka, Japan.

US Navy pays a visit to Queensland - May 10, 2005

USS Bonhomme-Richard (LHD 6) and guided-missile cruiser USS Milius (DDG 69) arrived in Brisbane for some eagerly awaited shore leave this week.

USS Bonhomme Richard is the flagship of the Expeditionary Strike Group 5. Other ships in the Group also visited Queensland; the amphibious ships USS Duluth (LPD 6) and USS Rushmore (LSD 47) arrived in Cairns, guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) pulled into Townsville, and the guided-missile frigate USS Thach (FFG 43) called into McKay. The group are nearing the end of a 6 month deployment that has seen them involved in operations in the Persian Gulf and providing vital humanitarian assistance in Indonesia and Sri Lanka following the tsunami disaster.

"The men and women of ESG-5 are excited at the opportunity to experience Australia's history and culture as well as Australia's world famous hospitality." said Rear Admiral Christopher Ames, Commander of ESG-5, embarked aboard Bonhomme Richard. "These Sailors and Marines have performed admirably in every facet of a demanding but rewarding deployment. I am proud to serve with men and women whose performance and professionalism have been second to none. This is a well deserved opportunity to relax, represent our country and see the sights of Australia."

The visit of the Group is estimated to inject over $1 million per day into the local economy as the ships are stocked with provisions and crews enjoy plenty of shopping, dining out and a brief holiday.

For more information on the ships in ESG 5 and the 15^th Marine Expeditionary Unit you may like to visit the following websites:

www.lhd6.navy.mil, www.milius.navy.mil, www.duluth.navy.mil, www.rushmore.navy.mil, www.bunker-hill.navy.mil, www.thach.navy.mil, www.15meu.usmc.mil

May 12, 2005 - Queensland cultural Fellows headed to Smithsonian

Three Queensland cultural specialists have won prestigious research fellowships with the Smithsonian in the United States, the world's largest museum complex.

The recipients, Suhanya Raffel, Head of Asian, Pacific and International Art at the Queensland Art Gallery; Dr Angelina Russo, Senior Research Associate in the Creative Industries Research and Applications Centre at QUT and Geoff Thompson, curatorial assistant and scientific illustrator in Entomology at the Queensland Museum were announced as Queensland Smithsonian Fellows this week by Premier Peter Beattie.

They will each embark on a project at the famous museum and research facility, bringing the knowledge and experience they gain back to Queensland at the end of their visit.

The Queensland government has provided up to $90,000 annually to support the Program and is committed to supporting the collaboration and development of expertise between Queenslanders and the United States. Twelve Queenslanders have already travelled to the Smithsonian under the program designed to foster knowledge sharing and exchange.

Applications are open to Queenslanders working in any area of mutual interest with the Smithsonian (such as museum studies, folk culture or history), and fellowships can last up to 12 months.

The Smithsonian boasts 14 museums and the National Zoo in Washington, two museums in New York City, and research stations in US States Arizona, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, along with Belize, Panama and Kenya.

Free Trade Agreement Talk - February 18

Agricultural Attaché Andrew Burst from the US Embassy in Canberra discussed the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement at the Queensland Rural Press Club luncheon in Brisbane. He focused on the elements in the agreement particularly relevant to agriculture. The FTA between Australia and the U.S. commenced on January 1, 2005.