What A US Embassy Does

What a US Embassy does is to provide a little bit of the United States wherever they are stationed in the world. They provide a great haven for any US citizens who have fallen out of luck on their travels.

There is much intrigue as to what actually happens inside an embassy. What do they really do? What goes on behind those big gates with the even bigger flags? Why is there an armed guard? Do people ever manage to get out again, once they have managed to gain access? They remain pretty fascinating places, a little bit of another country on foreign soil, a haven for native travelers who have fallen out of luck, and no doubt up to lots of top secret stuff. Here's a fascinating piece written by Walter Hines, the American Ambassador in London in the early 1900's, when he was asked the very same question, what do you do?

"...getting [Americans]..out of jail when they are jugged;...helping [them]...move the bones of their ancestors; interpreting the income tax law;...hearing American fiddlers, pianists, sitting for American… photographers, writing letters of introduction,...getting...tickets to..the House of Lords...."

Doesn't sound a bad life really does it? However, there is much more to it than that, and anyone who has, shall we say, come unstuck in a foreign country will have been glad of the services that their Embassy can provide.

US Embassy Services

• Help US citizens who have lost their passport whilst on their travels
• Renew passports for US citizens who reside in another country
• Add children to existing passports
• Deal with any Visa requirements for US citizens to another country, or indeed to allow foreign citizens to visit the United States
• Information on works visas and permits
• Information on marriage licenses and visas
• Information in driver's licenses and visas

Other Roles of the US Embassy

There is masses of information on any US Embassy website these days, which means that you don't even have to venture behind those 'big gates' to find out much of the necessary information. To promote the countries potential to foreign visitors is an increasingly important role of any embassy, and to work in co-operation with the resident government to maintain good relations between the countries.

Other Roles:

• Register as citizens births which take place outside the USA
• Deal with tax matters and tax returns for the US government
• Work closely on trade, commerce and investment
• Work in close co-operation with the resident government to intercept and put a stop to drug smuggling operations
• Help to establish good trading links between countries
• Deal with law enforcement officials when any American citizens have been arrested
• Arrange for the arrest and subsequent extradition of wanted American criminal fugitives
• Help with the arrangements when US citizens have died in another country
• Attend many, many official functions as official ambassadors of the United States

The role of the US embassy is changing all the time as the world changes around it. Their roles today are very much the same as they were 100 years ago in many ways, but in many other ways things are very different.