Obtaining a Foreign Visa to Travel
If you will be traveling into the United States on a visa, please note the following:
You can enter the U.S. on different types of visas. For details that may apply specifically to your country,
see information posted by your nearest consulate or embassy which can be
found at this website, http://usembassy.state.gov/.
While individual countries may differ slightly, here are the basic steps you should follow and what you can expect throughout the process.
- Decide on the type of visa with which you want to travel. If you are in one
of the 36 nations that participate in the Visa Waiver Program, you will
be allowed to enter the U.S. without applying for a visa. A good website
for the Visa Waiver Program is: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html.
All travelers on a waiver MUST have a machine-readable passport.
- If you plan to travel on any other kind of visa, find out all the information pertaining to the requirements for that visa. You can look on the website mentioned above in the first paragraph, or call the Embassy/Consulate in your country.
- Most visas require a personal interview. Make an appointment. The website on your Embassy can give you an average appointment wait time, the number to call for an appointment, and exactly what they require in documentation.
- Prepare all the documentation for the interview. If you need an invitation letter from us which states the purpose of your travel, please request one as early as possible. This can be requested via email (workshop@ucar.edu). Please provide the following information to us:
- Your name as it's shown on your passport
- Your address (if you want the original letter mailed to you)
- A fax number (if you want the letter faxed to you)
- A phone number
- Let us know if we can e-mail a PDF version of the invitation letter to you
Realize that sometimes additional reviews of your application may be required. This will take time. This process is basically your responsibility. We have no contact with the Embassies, but if you need more information please contact us at workshop@ucar.edu.