Travelling to the US - Speakers and Attendees

Visitors entering the U.S. must posses a valid passport and where necessary a valid visa.

Passports, regardless of the type, must be valid for six months past the expected stay in the United States (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions). This is a requirement for all categories of passports - regular, diplomatic, and official - when the traveler is seeking to enter the United States for business or tourist purposes, for a maximum of 90 days.

Visas

Due to the changing nature of visa requirements, we recommend that you visit the following websites for the most up-to-date information:

• US State Department, Visas home page

• US Customs and Border Protection
• US State Department, Temporary visitors to the US
• ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization)
• US-Visit Traveler Information
  

It is recommended that after gathering basic information, the participants contact the nearest U.S. Embassy/ Consulate to establish the application process and any region specific requirements. Please do this well in advance of the meeting dates!

Here is a link to websites of U.S. Embassies, Consulates, and Diplomatic Missions: http://www.usembassy.state.gov

As a standard part of the visa process, the State Department is now requiring that consular officers interview almost every applicant. Some consulates may have a long wait for an interview so applicants should contact the consulate to schedule an interview as early as possible. Because of the number of visa applications and the need for thorough security reviews, the process can take several months. Therefore, it is advisable for travelers to apply for their visas as early as possible (at least three to four months before the visa is needed). Contact the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy for details on visa application procedures at that post.

Typical wait times to obtain visas for citizens of various countries are given on the following website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/wait_4638.html

Here is a non-government website that might help with more information about visa procedures: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html

Invitation Letters

The ACVP and ASVCP are not responsible for obtaining visas. However, in order to assist with the travel visa application process, we will provide upon request a letter of invitation to attend the meeting to authors of papers that have been accepted and to non-authors who have paid the conference registration fee. The invitation "letter" will normally be provided in the form of a pdf file via email. In some cases your embassy may request that a paper letter be mailed to you, which can also be provided.

If you wish to receive an invitation letter to help with your visa, then submit the information listed below to:

Jane C. Shepard
Email: meetings@acvp.org
(Phone) +1-608-443-2466 extension 137

Include the following in your invitation letter request:

• Your full name (as it appears on your passport) - please use CAPITAL letters for Your family name (also called your last name or surname);
• Your "pre-title" (Dr., Mr., Ms.);
• Your job title (for example: BS/MS/PhD student, Research Associate, Assistant Professor, Director of something, Research Scientist (companies/ government) etc.);
• Your affiliation (university, company, organization etc.);
• Postal address (this may be either your work or home address, whichever you prefer), make sure that you include room number (if required), building, street, city, state, postal code and country;
• Passport number

It would be appreciated if you would format your information as per the example below (no indentation or special formatting, do not include the prompts as given above, keep the same ordering), since this greatly saves time on our part and helps us to make sure that you are not missing any information. The following is an example of an ideal submission:

Dr. William HOWELL
Scientific Research Program Manager
Natural Resources Canada
Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories
P.O. Box 57023 Station M
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3C1 CANADA
Passport number:

This information is required so that we can send you an electronic letter of invitation, but it does not give you a visa or guarantee that the U.S. embassy will grant a visa.

Submit your request for a visa invitation letter as soon as possible. Please allow 5 days for an email response, or 3 weeks for delivery of a "paper mail" invitation letter.

Note that ACVP participants are responsible for conference registration, paying appropriate fees for conference activities, as well as assuming full responsibility for any travel and accommodation expenses, and their activities and arrangements while in the U.S.