Q: I filled out a visa application and paid the application fee last year at the National Commercial Bank, but I haven’t had time to schedule an appointment yet. Is the receipt still valid, or do I have to pay the fee again?”

A: If you paid the Machine Readable Visas (MRV) fee before March 14, 2013 at the National Commercial Bank, you need to schedule an interview before March 12, 2014. After this date, we will no longer be accepting the pink MRV receipts from National Commercial Bank. If you purchased an MRV receipt before March 14, 2013 and have not scheduled an appointment, please contact the Nonimmigrant Visa Unit at KingstonTransApp@state.gov. Please include in the e-mail:

* First and last name

* Date of birth

* Passport number

* Type of visa

* Amount paid

* Date paid

* MRV receipt number

* Contact phone number

All other applicants should follow the instructions for applying for a visa on our website: kingston.usembassy.gov/how_to_apply2.html.

Reminder for US Citizens

All US citizens who live outside of the United States and want to vote by absentee ballot must complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year if they wish to vote from abroad. For more information, please visit the www.fvap.gov. You may drop off your voting materials with postage affixed at the US Embassy in Kingston or at the US Consular Agencies in Montego Bay and the Cayman Islands for delivery to the United States.

The Embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.

Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver. com and we will send them to the embassy.