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As part of security procedures, many
applications for visas are sent to
the State Department for a security
review. The Website for the State
Department is
http://travel.state.gov/visa. We
advise scientists traveling to the
United States to apply for a visa as
early as possible (at least three
months before visa is needed).
Please check with your local U.S.
consulate or embassy to find out the
earliest that you may apply for a
visa by clicking on the following
URL:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html. Because of the number of visas being
processed and the need to be
thorough with the reviews, this can
take as long 8 weeks, especially for
those countries that are on the
State Sponsors of Terrorism List.
Attendees from these countries
should start the application process
at least 6 months in advance
of the meeting.
Some foreign participants may not
need visas if they are citizens of
any of the countries on the Visa
Waiver Program (VWP). For the list
of countries, please visit
http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html. ALL citizens of the Visa Waiver
Program are required to have
Machine-Readable Passports (MRP) in
order to travel to the United States
without a visa. Without a MRP, you
will be required to apply for a
visa. For further information on
passport requirements, visit the
Department of Homeland Security
Website. All foreign visitors
(including Visa Waiver Program
travelers) will be fingerprinted and
photographed upon arrival in the
United States. For additional
information, visit the US-Visit
Program Website.
To assist you with the Visa
application process:
-
Ask for a letter of invitation
to attend at least four (4)
months prior to the meeting (see
below for further information).
-
Apply for visa at least three
(3) months in advance. For
countries that are on the State
Sponsors of Terrorism List, the
State Department suggests
applying for a visa six (6) to
eight (8) months in advance.
-
Provide your entire trip
itinerary, including travel to
any countries other than the
United States , at the time of
visa application.
-
If completion of travel plans is
contingent upon early approval
of the visa application, specify
this at the time of the
application.
-
Provide proof of scientific
status.
-
Provide meeting brochure and
letter of invitation.
-
Provide evidence that you are
intending to return to your
country of residence. This
includes such things as:
-
Requirements vary by
passport-issuing country and
citizenship (not merely
residency).
VISA Problems:
For applications waiting more than
30 days after their interview to
receive notification, you can
complete an on-line questionnaire
for assistance. The questionnaire
can be found at
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Visa_Questionnaire.html. Click HERE to view a step by step guide to the visa application process.
Requests for Letters of Invitation:
For security purposes, letters of
invitation can only be sent to
individuals that have registered for
the meeting. Please contact the EB
Management Office to request a
letter of invitation:
leftwich@faseb.org.
For questions regarding this policy,
feel free to contact your sponsoring
society.
American Association of
Anatomists (AAA)
Phone: 301-634-7910; Fax:
301-634-7965
Email:
exec@anatomy.org
American Society for Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
Phone: 301-634-7145; Fax:
301-634-7126
Email:
meetings@asbmb.org
American Society for Nutritional
(ASN)
Phone: 301-634-7051; Fax:
301-634-1892
Email:
meyersA@asns.org
American Society for
Investigative Pathology (ASIP)
Phone: 301-634-7950; Fax:
301-634-7990
Email:
meetings@asip.org
American Society for Pharmacology
& Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Phone: 301-634-7066; Fax:
301-634-7061
nwhite@aspet.org
American Physiological Society (APS)
Phone: 301-634-7967; Fax:
301-634-7241
Email:
meetings@the-aps.org
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