Houston, Texas Hilton Americas - Houston March 29-April 2, 2006
Visa Information
Visa Information
As part of new security procedures in the USA, many visa applications are being sent to the State Department in Washington, D.C., where they are reviewed. We advise scientists intending to come to the United States to apply for their visa as early as possible. Please check with your local U.S. consulate or embassy to find out the earliest that you may apply. Because of the number of visas being processed and the need to be thorough with the reviews, this can take as long as six to eight weeks.
Visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny than in the past. For many applicants, a personal appearance interview is required as a standard part of visa processing. Additionally, applicants affected by these procedures are informed of the need for additional screening at the time they submit their applications and are being advised to expect delays. The time needed for adjudication of individual cases will continue to be difficult to predict. For travelers, the need for an interview will mean additional coordination with the embassy or consulate is needed to schedule an interview appointment. We recommend that individuals build in ample time before their planned travel date when seeking to obtain a visa.
The U.S. State Department, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Federation of America Societies for Experimental Biology have useful Web sites concerning important procedures for obtaining a visa for admission into the United States.