International travel to meetings in the U.S.
FCS&E staff advises anyone who may need a visa to attend the meeting to apply early. Visa applicants should apply at least 3 months in advance of the meeting. Security-related policies have greatly increased the processing time for visa applications. U.S. consular officers now usually interview applicants as part of the application process.
If you need a letter of invitation, please contact the FCS&E Conference Coordinators at fuelcell@courtesyassoc.com or by phone at 202.973.8671.
General information about visas:
The National Academies maintains a Web site about visa-related issues and travel information for U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens.
Other helpful sites:
- Travel to the US: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_to_US.html
- Travel from the US: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Traveling_from_US.html
- U.S. State Department : http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/
- Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for visitors traveling to the U.S.: http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/content_multi_image_0021.shtm
- Visas for students and exchange visitors in the U.S.: http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/studying.html
*Please note that the U.S. State Department has required citizens from VWP countries to obtain visas if they do not have machine-readable passports and they wish to visit the U.S. One-time exemptions are no longer available to VWP nationals who do not possess a machine-readable passport or a non-immigrant visa.
