Invitations and Visas

Invitations:
Participants who require invitations to participate in CIPANP2015 should email Dr. Bonnie Fleming, Chair of the Local Organizing Committee, including CIPANP-invitation-participation in the header

Participants who require an invitation letter to enter the US as a visitor to participate in CIPANP2015 should email Dr. Fleming, including CIPANP-invitation-entry in the header

Visas:
Participants from outside the United States are reminded of the formalities required for entering the U.S., in particular for those who cannot enter the U.S. without a visa or through the Visa Waiver Program.

Please consult the U.S. Department of State Web site for the current regulations.

Please be aware that visa issuance cannot be guaranteed. Visa decisions are made solely by the U.S. Department of State.

* The U.S. Department of State has the authority to request special security clearances before issuing a visa. These clearances can take from 1 week to 2 months. Do not be alarmed if you are told that a security check will be done. In most cases, they are completed within a week or two.

* It is not possible for the conference organizers to expedite visas for conference participants.

Therefore, if a visa is required, you must plan ahead and apply for your visa as early as the U.S. Consulate General allows (but no more than six months in advance of your travel date). Each Consulate General has rules about how early you may apply. Please follow the instructions of the Consulate where you plan to apply for the visa.

1.      Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

Citizens and some permanent residents of Canada, Mexico, and the British Overseas Territories of Bermuda who hold a valid passport, or other documents, may be able to enter the U.S. without a visa.

Please see http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1260.html for the full eligibility requirements.

2.      Visa Waiver Program

If you hold a valid passport from one of the countries below, you do not need a U.S. entry visa to visit the U.S. for a one-week conference. This is called the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). See http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html for complete details. 

However, if you qualify under the VWP, you must apply for travel authorization using the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) online Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

The ESTA Web site provides complete details.

Online applications should be completed using the official Web site.

As of 12 January 2009, a valid ESTA approval is required for all VWP travel to the United States. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. An ESTA authorization generally will be valid for up to two years. Authorizations will be valid for multiple entries into the USA. DHS recommends that travellers submit an ESTA application as soon as they begin making travel plans.

Effective 20 January 2010, the DHS transitioned to enforced compliance of the ESTA requirement for VWP travellers. Therefore, VWP travellers who have not obtained approval through ESTA should expect to be denied boarding on any air carrier bound for the U.S.

Effective 8 September 2010, all ESTA registration applications or renewals on or after that date will require a US$14.00 fee payment by credit or debit card.  Existing ESTA registrations remain valid through their expiration date.

Although not required, it is recommended that you carry a printed copy of your ESTA authorization page with your other travel documents.

When you arrive at the U.S. immigration inspection point (airport or border crossing), you must show your conference invitation letter and/or conference registration materials, and a valid passport. It is suggested that you also present your ESTA authorization page. Be sure to have these documents available to present to the immigration inspector. Do not pack them in a suitcase. When asked your purpose for entering the U.S., you should respond “to attend a professional conference.”

3.      Countries whose nationals require a visa to enter the United States

If you are not a citizen of one of the countries listed in 1 or 2 above, you must apply at a U.S. Consulate General for a U.S. entry visa. You may apply for a B-1 or B-2 visa. B-1 is for a business visitor, B-2 is for a tourist. The Consulate will grant whichever it decides is appropriate for you. Both of them are valid for the purpose of attending a conference. To apply for the visa, you must submit your conference invitation letter and/or conference registration materials, a valid passport, and all additional material listed in the instructions provided by the U.S. Consulate.

When you arrive at the U.S. immigration inspection point (airport or border crossing), you must show your conference invitation letter and/or conference registration materials, and a valid passport. Be sure to have these documents available to present to the immigration inspector. Do not pack them in a suitcase. When asked your purpose for entering the U.S., you should respond “to attend a professional conference.”

4.      One of the options (1, 2 or 3) above should be appropriate for all conference attendees coming from outside the United States

The conference organizers cannot provide individual pre-conference, pre-visa application advice to attendees. Please refer to the official U.S. Government Web sites links above. However, if the U.S. Consulate refuses to accept your application for a B-1/B-2 visa, or denies your application, or tells you personally that you must apply for some other visa in order to travel to the conference, contact the conference organizers immediately. In these instances it may be possible for us to provide you with additional visa advice on a case-by-case basis. Individual advice will not be provided unless a U.S. Consulate has stated that they will not grant a visa, or you have been denied a visa.