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 Pursuant
to the Amended Compact of Free Association, citizens
of the Federated States of Micronesia continue to enjoy
the privileges of traveling to and residing in the US
to seek employment or pursue education, without the
need for a visa. These rights and responsibilities are
outlined in more detail in the Information Pamphlet
for citizens. The actual text of the Compact Agreement
is also linked on this website and may be accessed through
Forms or through the Office of Compact Management.
Is Micronesia part of the South Pacific?
Geographically, Micronesia is not part of the South
Pacific as the majority of its islands and atolls lie
north of the equator. There are three distinct regions
in the Pacific: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.
Within Micronesia, there are several political entities:
the Marshall Islands, Palau, the US Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, the US territory of Guam
and the Federated States of Micronesia. The Federated
States of Micronesia comprises the 4 main island groups
which are the States of Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae and Pohnpei.
There are approximately 600 islands in the Federated
States of Micronesia grouping.
I live on the East Coast. What time is it in
Micronesia?
Pohnpei in the FSM is 16 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard
Time. Pohnpei and Kosrae share the same time zone and
Chuuk and Yap are in the next zone over, thus they would
be 15 hours ahead.
Is English spoken in the FSM?
Yes, English is one of the official languages of communication,
however there are at least nine (9) other Micronesian
languages and dialects spoken throughout the FSM.
How do I call the FSM from the US?
When calling the FSM from the US, you must first dial
011 (international), then 691, which is the country
code. Each state has it’s own designated prefix
, followed by 4 numbers.
Land line prefixes Cell phone prefixes
Pohnpei 320- 920-
Yap 350- 950-
Kosrae 370- 970-
Chuuk 330- 930-
For example: if you are calling the Department
of Foreign Affairs from the US, you would dial: 011-691-320-2614.
If you are calling a number that is preceded by 930
for example, you are most likely calling a cell phone
in Chuuk.
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I am a new visitor to the US. What should I do?
Please read the Essential Information for FSM Citizens
which can be found on this website. You may also obtain
copies from the Embassies and Consulates. It will give
you a good idea of what you should and shouldn’t
do while residing here in the USA. You may also call
the Embassy or the Consulates for more information.
We encourage you to join our email list on our website,
or call the FSM Embassy in Washington, DC to register
your name and address. We are better able to assist
you if we know you are here.
I am going to the US what paperwork do I need?
You must have a valid passport for travel. Please keep
your passport current at all times. When you arrive
in the US, you will be issued an I-94 card by US Customs
& Immigration. It will be stamped “CFA/FSM”
for Compact of Free Association and “D/S”
Duration of Stay. Your I-94 card is evidence that you
have been admitted to the US as a legal non-immigrant.
You do not need a visa and you are permitted to stay
for the duration of your stay. You should also bring
certified copies of your birth certificate, school documents,
guardianship papers and/or any other important and necessary
papers to ease your transition to the US. Please keep
your passport up-to-date and don’t lose your I-94
or other important documents.
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My I94 card has been lost or damaged. What do
I do?
The I94 card is very important. It is evidence that
you have entered the USA legally and it is required
by employers and other agencies. It does not expire
and is valid until you depart the US. If you have lost
your I94 card, you should replace it as soon as possible.
You must apply for a replacement I-94 card from your
nearest Immigration or Homeland Security Office. The
application for replacement I-94 card is known as application
Form I-102. You must ensure that your application is
complete and filed correctly. The fee is $160.
Download application and instructions from the USCIS
website here: FORM
I-102
The only other way to have an I-94 card re-issued
is to leave the USA (i.e. visit the FSM or anotehr country)
and come back whereupon US Immigration officials will
issue you a new I-94.
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Do I need an EAD card to work?
FSM Citizens are no longer required to apply for the
EAD card for employment purposes. However, it is often
very helpful to have an EAD card to use for identification
purposes. The only documents an FSM citizen must provide
in order to be eligible to work are a valid passport
and I94 card.
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I employ FSM citizens here in the US. Is the
EAD required?
Not under the amended Compact. Only a valid passport
and I-94 is required of an FSM citizen for him to work
in the US. Please refer to DHS’s Employer Information
Bulletin #106 for details on how to report or file for
employees who are FSM citizens.
Does the I-94 that is issued upon entry to FSM
citizens expire?
No. The I-94 issued to FSM citizens upon entry into
the US is valid until the date they leave the US. Upon
return or re-entry to the US, a new I-94 will be issued.
Most other foreign nationals who visit the US are given
I-94’s with an expiring date. Not so, FSM citizens.
The Compact of Free Association allows for FSM citizens
to enter the US freely to work, study and/or reside
without any specific date of expected departure.
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My SS card has been issued with a legend that
says “valid for work only with DHS authorization”
or a similar legend. What should I do?
Under the amended Compact, FSM citizens continue to
be eligible to apply for US social security numbers.
The only change is that FSM citizens may only apply
for an SS number while they are resident in the US.
If your Social Security card was issued with a prohibitive
legend, then it has been issued incorrectly. You may
visit the nearest US Social Security office to have
your card reissued.
If you are experiencing difficulties in getting an
SS card re-issued, you may contact the FSM Embassy in
Washington for assistance. You will be asked to fax
a copy of your SS card, your passport and your I94 to
the Embassy in Washington at (202) 223-4391. You will
be asked to include your complete home address and all
contact or telephone numbers on the fax.
If you have lost your SS card, you will be asked to
provide your SS number to Embassy staff.
If you are new in the US and are a first-time applicant
for an SS card and are experiencing difficulties, you
will be asked to fax only your passport and I94, including
your home address and phone number and copies of any
communications you’ve had with Social Security.
If you have lost your passport and your SS card, you
must FIRST apply for a new FSM passport from FSM Immigration
before we can get your SS card re-issued.
Am I eligible for a US Social Security Number?
Yes, FSM citizens are eligible to apply and be issued
a US Social Security number. The card should be issued
with only the SS number and without any legend such
as “valid for work only with DHS authorization”.
Am I eligible for social security disability
benefits?
You must file an application with Social Security and
they will determine your eligibility.
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Am I eligible for medicaid or other related welfare
assistance?
Most such issues of social welfare are handled by the
governments of each State. Each state has different
requirements for applicants of welfare assistance. You
must check with the State to reside in to determine
your eligibility. This type of assistance is not guaranteed
under the Compact.
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I am a student. Am I eligible for US Federal
Financial Aid?
Yes, FSM citizens are eligible to receive the PELL Grant.
You are an eligible non-citizen.
Please refer to the following US Department of Education
website for more information.
http://www.ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0506Vol1Ch2.pdf
Am I eligible for loans?
No, not anymore.
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I am in the military. I am being reassigned to
post in the US. My wife is not an FSM citizen nor a
US citizen. Can I bring her back to the US with me?
Yes, if you are active military and you are married
to a foreign national, you may bring your family into
the US and bypass any visa requirements that might normally
be required such foreign nationals to enter the US.
This privilege is authorized only under the newly amended
Compact of Free Association.
I am retired military, can I bring non-US citizen,
wife and dependents to the US?
No, only active duty military personnel may bring in
third-country dependents into the US under the Compact
of Free Association entry privileges.
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Do I have to register for the US Selective Service?
No. Please refer to this website for more information.
http://www.sss.gov/must.htm
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My passport is expired. Can I travel back to
Micronesia for an emergency?
Yes, if your FSM passport is expired less than 10 years,
you may return to the FSM. You may not travel through
Japan, but may only travel directly from the US to the
FSM (travel via Hawaii or Guam).
My passport is expired. Can the Embassy or Consulates
renew or extend my passport?
No, neither the Embassy or Consulates is authorized
to renew or extend validity of expired passports. All
applications for issuance or renewal must be completed
and submitted to FSM Immigration in Micronesia. You
may download an FSM Passport Application from this website.
My passport is expired. Can I travel to another
country outside the US and the FSM?
No
Can my US-born child travel with me to the FSM?
Children that are born in the US to FSM parents may
travel back to the FSM with their parents. You may obtain
a special travel document from the Embassy or Consulates
for return travel to Micronesia. Children without passports
and carrying the Embassy’s travel document, may
only travel directly to the FSM. You may not travel
through a third country (i.e. Japan).
How do I get a travel document to go back to
the FSM with my US-born child?
Please fax a copy of birth certificate and copy of FSM
passport of parent travelling with the child to the
FSM Embassy in Washington at (202) 223-4391. You must
include your full name and address including contact
phone numbers, fax number and email address where we
may reach you. Documents may take up to a week for issuance.
Please plan ahead as last-minute requests cannot always
be guaranteed.
Is the Embassy-issued travel document valid for
other travel?
The Embassy-issued travel document is only valid for
children born in the US to FSM parents. It is only valid
for one-time travel to the FSM from the US. It is not
valid for travel to any other country. It is not valid
for transit through another country. If the child plans
to travel in the future, a passport must be obtained
from the FSM Government.
Do I need a machine-readable passport to travel?
In the very near future, machine readable passports
will be required of all travellers. The FSM Immgration
Office issues all passports and will be the office to
issue machine-readable passports once the FSM Government
transitions to that system.
Do I need a visa to travel to Israel?
No, not for visits less than 3 months. Please also visit
the visa section on this website.
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Are visas required to visit the FSM?
No. Valid passport, sufficient funds and proof of onward
travel are sufficient to grant entry for 30 days. Under
the amended Compact of Free Association, US citizens
need only valid passport for entry.
How do I get to Micronesia?
Continental Airlines is currently the only US airline
that flies to the Federated States of Micronesia. The
routes to Micronesia are either through Hawaii to the
east or Guam and Japan to the west of the FSM.
I want to make reservations with a travel agent,
but I don’t know what the airport code is for the
FSM?
There are 4 airports in the FSM and the codes are as
follow:
Pohnpei – PNI, Kosrae – KSA, Chuuk –
TKK, Yap – YAP. You must know your specific island
destination as the islands are spread out over almost
1Million square miles of ocean. You can only get from
one to the other by airplane.
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I am an FSM citizen, my child was born in the
US. Is my child a US citizen?
Currently, children born in the US are US citizens by
birth. The FSM Constituion allows for such children
to hold dual citizenship until they reach the age of
21 when they must choose either FSM or US citizenship.
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Can I vote in the US elections?
No
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Can I be deported from the US?
Yes. FSM citizens may enter the USA under a special
status accorded under the Compact of Free Association,
however if an FSM citizen is found guilty of breaking
or disregarding the laws while in the US, then they
will be treated as any other foreign national and deported
if convicted of a deportable crime.
What is a deportable crime?
Crimes that are considered crimes of moral terpitude,
i.e. rape, sexual harassment, theft, spying, trespassing,
etc. are usually deportable crimes. If you have been
convicted by the courts of a felony and/or have been
convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of 1 year or
more, you are usually deportable. If you are a repeat
offender of DUI (Driving Under the Influence), you may
also be considered deportable.
Once I am deported back to the FSM, can I come
back to the US?
No. Normally once a person is deported from the US,
they are forever barred from returning into the US or
its territories (i.e. Guam). That also means that you
are barred from transitting through any US territories
(i.e. transiting through Guam to go from Pohnpei to
Yap).
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Please contact the FSM Embassy in Washington with any
feedback, suggestions, corrections or any other questions
that you might like to see addressed on this website.
Thank you for visiting our website. Please come again
soon.
I am an FSM official traveling to DC for meetings.
Can the Embassy help me with my hotel reservations?
Yes. The Embassy staff is more than happy to help FSM
officials traveling to the DC area with hotel reservations.
In order to assist you, we must have your credit card
number and exact travel itinerary so that the reservations
can be made. It is not possible to make reservations
without a credit card number.
I am on official travel and I need a visa to
go to Canada. Can I obtain a visa in Washington or New
York?
Yes. Most countries will issue visas to officials traveling
on official business through their Washington Embassy
or New York UN Mission. So that our respective offices
may better assist you, we require the following in advance.
Please fax or email copies of the above.
- FSM Passport
- Travel Itinerary
- Letter of Invitation or Letter of Credentials
- Visa application (completed and signed)
- Any Attachments
All original documents with photos must be presented
upon arrival in Washington, DC. If all paperwork is
received in advance and all paperwork is in order upon
arrival, official visas may normally require 2-3 days
for processing. Most consular offices only accept visa
applications in the morning from 9 to noon.
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