Ask the Consul: Tuition Benefits for Dual Citizens

Question: If I am a dual citizen of the United States and Israel, am I entitled to any tax benefits to cover my university tuition?

Answer: Thank you for your question. If your parents are American citizens and they pay taxes in the United States and claim you as a dependent on their tax return, you may qualify for a tax credit. There are a variety of tax credits, deductions and savings plans available to taxpayers to assist with the expense of higher education. For example:

• A tax credit reduces the amount of income a taxpayer may have to pay.
• A deduction reduces the amount of a taxpayer’s income that is subject to tax, thus generally reducing the amount of tax a taxpayer may have to pay.
• Certain savings plans allow the accumulated interest to grow tax-free until money is taken out (known as a distribution), or allow the distribution to be tax-free, or both.
• An exclusion from income means that taxpayer won't have to pay income tax on the benefit they are receiving, but also won't be able to use that same tax-free benefit for a deduction or credit. 

For more information, visit the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) webpage “Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center” at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=213044,00.html.

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Ask the Consul is a regular feature on the Consular Round Up blog. Every few weeks, one of the Embassy's Consular Officers answers an interesting consular question we've received from one of our readers. Think you can stump us? To submit a question, leave a comment, post one on our Facebook wall or send us an email at NIVTelAviv@state.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

Emergency Preparedness the Focus of Annual Warden Meeting

Left to right: Warden Eytan Saffer, Ambassador James Cunningham, Consular Associate
Charlotte Lawrence, Warden Moriah Ordman, Consul General Andrew Parker.

On Monday April 11, 2011, Consul General Andrew Parker and American Citizen Services Chief Elisa Greene hosted more than 30 American wardens from across Israel at the Embassy’s annual warden conference. The speakers included Ambassador James Cunningham, and Defense Attaché Col. Jeffrey Hood who discussed the role of the Department of Defense in a time of crises.

Two of the Embassy’s vice consuls and one of the Embassy’s regional security officers also spoke about their experiences in Cairo, Egypt earlier this year, where they assisted with the evacuation of more than 2,000 Americans.

They emphasized the importance of readiness for a crisis, particularly always having a valid U.S. passport in your possession. They also recommended that all American citizens remember to stay in touch with the Embassy by signing up for warden messages, registering with the State Department and becoming a fan of our Facebook page.

At the conclusion of the conference, the Ambassador presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Warden Sandy Berlinger, for her invaluable support of American Citizen Services (ACS) section. During a recent visit of the ACS section to Bet Shemesh, Berlinger helped coordinate more than 200 appointments for passports for the large U.S. citizen community there.

“The Embassy is grateful for the excellent support of our network of Wardens,” Parker said. “With your help we stand ready to respond to any emergency situation involving the welfare of American citizens.”

Ask the Consul: Question from a Canadian Passport Holder

Question: I have both an Israeli and Canadian passport and just want to make sure that I can enter the States with the Canadian passport without the need of visa or other approvals?

Answer: Thanks for your question! Canadians generally do not require a visa to enter the United States for the purposes of visiting or studying. There are some exceptions to this rule. For example, intending immigrants or investors must qualify for a visa before entry in the same manner as other nationalities. 

Other entrants, such as journalists, temporary workers or NAFTA professionals must present all necessary supporting documentation and/or approved petitions directly to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer at the Port of Entry. Be sure to check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for the latest updates on U.S. entry requirements for Canadians and others.

Canadian visitors are generally granted a stay in the United States for up to six months at the time of entry. Requests to extend or adjust a stay must be made prior to expiry to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. All Canadians are reminded that U.S. law requires all foreigners to qualify for the desired stay and purpose at the time of their initial entry. A visitor who intends to live, work or study in the U.S. without disclosing this information beforehand may be permanently barred from the United States.

For more information, visit the U.S. Embassy Ottawa website at: http://canada.usembassy.gov/.

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Ask the Consul is a regular feature on the Consular Round Up blog. Every few weeks, one of the Embassy's Consular Officers answers an interesting consular question we've received from one of our constituents. Think you can stump us? To submit a question, post one on our Facebook wall or send us an email at NIVTelAviv@state.gov. We look forward to hearing from you!

U.S. Embassy to Close for April 8 Tel Aviv Marathon

U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv will be closed Friday, April 8 due to the 2011 Tel Aviv Marathon.

The Visa Services Unit will not be open to process non-immigrant visa applications on this day. If you are an American citizen with an urgent matter, you may call the Embassy's emergency hotline at 03-519-7551.

Visit the following link for a complete list of U.S. and Israeli holidays for which the Embassy will be closed: http://israel.usembassy.gov/ac/holidays2.html.

Vice Consul Briefs Technion Students on Visa Application Process

A Vice Consul visited Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, on Mar. 30, 2011 to provide information about student visas and exchange opportunities, primarily in scientific fields of study.

In partnership with EducationUSA, the Consular Officer spoke to several hundred graduate students about the application process and how to qualify for student and exchange visas.

For answers to all your student visa questions, visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html.

Vice Consul Speaks to IDC Graduate Students

A Vice Consul visited the Interdisciplinary Center of Herzliya (IDC) campus on Tuesday, Mar. 28 to provide information about student visas.

In partnership with EducationUSA, the Consular Officer spoke to several hundred students at a graduate student fair about the application process and how to qualify for a student visa.

For answers to all your student visa questions, visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1268.html.

Got Visa Questions? Ask a Consular Officer on Facebook

Consular staff members are available to answer your visa questions on our Facebook page around the clock!

Become a fan today by logging into your Facebook account and clicking on the following link: www.facebook.com/ConsularSectionUSEmbassyTelAviv. See you on Facebook!