United States Visa Advisory

Effective January 12, 2009, the requirements to travel visa-free into the United States have changed. Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries will still be eligible to travel without a visa but will have to obtain an approved travel authorization prior to their travel to the United States. The approval form and additional information may be found at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

The US has updated its visa policies to increase security. Because of these new policies, it will probably take longer to secure a visa, and applicants must be aware of any new security measures that have been put into place. For details on individual countries and the specific policies that apply, please obtain information from your nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy.

Citizens of certain countries (1) traveling as visitors for 90 days or less, and (2) meeting all other requirements can travel to the U.S. for tourism or business under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

Visa Waiver Program

Currently, the 27 countries shown below participate in the VWP. Additionally, some of the citizens of Canada and Bermuda do not need a visa to visit the United States.

Andorra | Australia | Austria | Belgium | Brunei | Denmark | Finland | France | Germany | Iceland | Ireland | Italy | Japan | Liechtenstein | Luxembourg | Monaco | The Netherlands | New Zealand | Norway | Portugal | San Marino | Singapore | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | United Kingdom

Passports

Since October 2004, visa-waiver travelers from all VWP countries must present a machine-readable passport at the U.S. port of entry. Machine-readable passports issued since October 2005 require a digital photograph printed on the data or integrated chip with information from the data page.

Passports must have an expiration date at least six months beyond the applicant’s intended period of stay in the U.S. If more than one person is included in the passport, each person desiring a visa must make a separate application. Temporary Passports will almost certainly merit special scrutiny. Check with your local US consular offices well ahead of your intended departure dates to avoid problems.

Recommendations

To avoid frustration and disappointment, please note the following:

• Advance planning by travelers is essential. Review your visa status and find out if you need a U.S. visa or a visa renewal.
• Plan to submit your visa application well in advance of your intended departure date. Contact your nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for a current time estimate and recommendations.
• Visit the embassy or consular section where you plan to apply for your visa. Visit their website to find important information on how to schedule an interview appointment and pay fees.
• An interview is required as a standard part of processing for most visa applicants.
• Applicants must now also have two index-finger scans collected as part of the visa application process. These finger scans are normally collected by the consular officer at the visa interview window, but in some countries they are collected prior to the visa interview.

Disclaimer

Please note that this information is provided in good faith, but regulations may change and the only authoritative sources of information are the U.S. Government websites at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov and http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html.

Visa Letters

A visa support letter may be provided for authors and registered attendees. Further, spouses requiring visa assistance must be registered for an IMS Guest Program event. Please submit your requests for letters of support well in advance of your interview dates to allow sufficient time for processing.
For additional visa assistance, please contact Dr. Zaher Bardai at zb@ieee.org.