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The State Department has announced that, beginning in August 2008, visitors traveling to the U.S. from visa waiver countries (i.e. Europe, Japan, Australia, etc.) will have to register online 3 days in advance of travel. This rule will be mandatory by January 12, 2009. For the official announcement about the new system, called the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), as well as link to a list of visa waiver countries, please click here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html
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. You can also visit the "International Visitors Office" Website at http://www.nationalacademies.org/visas. 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.
Registration refunds will not be issued after March 20th for denied visas.
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).
PASSPORT INFORMATION
VISA Problems:
For applications that have not been approved
30 days after the interview you should
complete an on-line questionnaire
for assistance. The questionnaire
can be found at
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Visa_Questionnaire.html. You will be asked to name the meeting (EB 2009) and explain the purpose of your visit. Click HERE to view a step by step guide to the visa application process. Click HERE for information regarding visa wait times.
Requests for Letters of Invitation:
For security purposes, letters of
invitation can only be sent to
individuals that have registered for
the meeting. As you go through the online registration process you will be asked if you need a letter of invitation. You can choose to do your letter of invitation at a later date. Click on the following link to login to the registration site and request your letter of invitation
http://www.xpressreg.net/register/exbi049/XPressToolkit/start.asp . For questions regarding this policy,
you may contact your sponsoring
society or email EB2009ContactUs.
American Association of
Anatomists (AAA)
Phone: 301-634-7910; Fax:
301-634-7965
Email:
Click here
American Society for Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
Phone: 301-634-7145; Fax:
301-634-7126
Email:
Click here
American Society for Nutrition
(ASN)
Phone: 301-634-7051; Fax:
301-634-1892
Email:
Click here
American Society for
Investigative Pathology (ASIP)
Phone: 301-634-7950; Fax:
301-634-7990
Email:
Click here
American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
Phone: 301-634-7066; Fax:
301-634-7061
Email:
Click here
The American Physiological Society (APS)
Phone: 301-634-7967; Fax:
301-634-7241
Email:
Click here
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