Conference participants should familiarize themselves with visa requirements well in advance of the conferences. The 2015 Cryogenic Engineering Conference & International Cryogenic Materials Conference (CEC/ICMC 2015) Organizers encourage you to apply for your visa as early as possible, at least 3 to 4 months prior to this conference.
Some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews so applicants should first contact the consulate to find out how long the wait is for an interview. Visa wait times are available here.
CEC/ICMC 2015 CANNOT INTERVENE with U.S. Embassies abroad or the State Department on behalf of any participant. However, if you need a personal letter of invitation to attend the Conference, please contact Centennial Conferences (email: cecicmc@centennialconferences.com or fax: (001) 303-499-2599) and provide the following information:
Full Name
Complete Mailing Address
Valid Email Address
Fax Number (if you wish to receive a faxed copy of the letter)
The letter will reflect your status as known to us at the time (abstract accepted and a place in the program assigned; paid registration received, etc.). The letter does not imply financial support from the conference. Your letter will be EMAILED to you. A hard copy will be faxed and mailed to you via regular airmail only if requested. Any fees for sending letters via express mail must be paid for by the requester.
PASSPORTS & VISAS
The U.S. State Department allows Canadian citizens to enter the United States without visas; they will need to show passports and proof of residence, however.
The most common way of visiting the U.S. without a visa is through the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The 36 participating VWP countries can be found here. To take advantage of VWP, you need to register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before your trip.
Consumer Protection Notice: ESTA is an inexpensive official service of the US government and provides everything you need. Third parties who charge money for a related “service” are not capable of expediting approval. The link shown above takes you directly to the official Government site, which explains the process and allows you to enroll online if you are from a Visa Waiver Program country.
Citizens of all other countries not participating in the Visa Waiver Program must have (1) a valid passport that expires at least 6 months later than the scheduled end of their visit to the United States, and (2) a tourist visa, which may be obtained from any U.S. consulate. A charge may apply. For more information about travel requiring visas, please click here for the U.S. Department of State website.
For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the “Foreign Entry Requirement” website of the U.S. State Department. International visitors can obtain a visa application at the same website.
Besides the visa letter, copies of your round-trip itinerary, a printout of registration for CEC/ICMC’15, evidence of your stature as a scholar (such as your curriculum vitae, including published articles and research topics – both must be in English-language), and evidence of your binding ties to your home country are also known to be helpful in obtaining a visa. NOTE: No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of non-refundable ticket should not be made until a visa has been issued and you are in receipt of the passport.
IMPORTANT WEBSITES
- What to expect when visiting the U.S.
- International Visitors Office
- Visa Guidelines
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Visa Policy
- US Embassies
- Temporary Visitors to U.S.
- Business Visa Center
- Office of Biometric Identity Management
- Visitor Visas – Business and Pleasure
US-VISIT
These notes presume that non-U.S. citizens/residents traveling to the U.S. for attendance at the CEC/ICMC 2015 do so for this reason only. The guidance offered may not be appropriate for plans, which include visits to other institutions, vacations or other objectives.
PROBLEMS?
If the visa has not been issued 14 days prior of the start of the conference or any problems are encountered in the visa applications or in the admission process, please submit your report to the International Visitors Office by completing the questionnaire on their website. To help the International Visitors Office to identify you as a participant, please be sure to include the name of our meeting (2015 Cryogenic Engineering Conference & International Cryogenic Materials Conference (CEC/ICMC 2015)) in the “Purpose of Visit” field on the questionnaire. The International Visitors Office can inquire at the Department of State about the status of visa applications that have been pending for more than 21 days. Additional information can be found here.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that this information is given in good faith but that the regulations may change and the only authoritative sources of information are the U.S. Government websites.