VISA INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES

VISITOR ENTRY TO THE UNITED STATES

Foreign nationals who plan to visit the US for a short time should apply for a visitor visa at the American Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over their place of permanent residence. Make sure you read all the information provided.

If you require a letter of invitation, please email uconnect2011@gs1us.org and make sure VISA LETTER is in the subject of the email. In your email, include name and title of attendees, their passport number, company name, address, telephone and fax.

REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISITORS TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES

TOURIST OR BUSINESS TRAVEL

Passport plus valid visa (passport should be valid 6 months beyond the intended date of departure from the USA
Visa not required if traveling under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, VWP (see details below) and meeting the following conditions:
- Passports issued prior to October 26, 2005 must be a Machine Readable Passport (MRP)
- Passports issued on or after October 26, 2005 must have a digital photo and must be an e-passport
- Travels for pleasure or business purposes only
- Is a non-immigrant
- Stays up to 90 days or less
- Holds a correctly completed and signed Form I-94W (Visa Waiver arrival/departure form issued either by a carrier having signed the agreement I-775, or by a travel agency)
- Meets all conditions of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program
- Holds onward/return ticket (or electronic ticket record or return passages) with a final destination to a country, other than Canada, Mexico or countries/islands situated in or bordering the Caribbean sea, unless passenger holds proof of residence in such country/islands in which case onward/return tickets to that country are accepted
Vaccinations: none required

Visit the following URL if you need more information http://www.traveldocs.com/

VISA WAIVER PROGRAM (VWP) and ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION, (ESTA)

Currently, 35 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Brunei, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom*.

Nationals from these countries should double check with the consular office in your country.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Eligible nationals of these countries are able to travel without a visa for tourist and business travel of 90 days or less provided they possess an e-passport and an approved authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 12, 2009, all VWP travelers will be required to obtain an authorization via Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA is a free automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States for tourist or business purposes for 90 days or less provided they possess an E- passport and an approved authorization through ESTA.
ESTA applications may be completed online at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.

To qualify for the VWP, you must:

Intend to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less
Have a passport lawfully issued to you by a VWP country that is valid for six months beyond your intended visit
Be a national of the VWP country that issued your passport
Have been checked using an automated electronic database containing information about inadmissible aliens to the United States
Have tickets and documents for return or onward travel
Present to the Immigration Inspector a completed and signed Form I-94W, Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Form
Not pose a safety threat to the United States
Not have failed to comply with the conditions of any previous admission under the visa waiver program
If arriving by air or sea, arrive on a carrier that signed an agreement (signatory carrier) guaranteeing to transport you out of the U.S. if you are found to be inadmissible or deportable
Present evidence of funds to cover expenses in the United States
Present evidence of compelling social and economic ties abroad
Have a residence outside the U.S. as well as other binding ties which will insure your return abroad at the end of the visit.

Not all countries participate in the VWP, and not all travelers from VWP countries are eligible to use the program. VWP travelers are screened prior to admission into the United States, and they are enrolled in the Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT program.

ESTA IMPLEMENTATION

International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are now subject to enhanced security requirements. All eligible travelers who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization using the process described in the following link https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

On August 1, 2008, DHS will begin to accept voluntary ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Effective October 15, 2008, the the website will be available in other languages besides English.

Travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States under the VWP before they apply for an ESTA authorization. DHS recommends that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a VWP traveler begins to plan a trip to the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure. ESTA has, however, been designed to allow for the accommodation of last minute and emergency travelers.

Effective January 12, 2009 citizens or nationals from all VWP countries will be required to obtain an approved electronic travel authorization via ESTA™ in order to be eligible to travel by air or sea to the United States under VWP. Travels who have not received ESTA approval may be denied boarding; experience delayed processing, or be denied admission at a U.S. port of entry.

Expansion of US-VISIT Procedures to Additional Travelers

US-VISIT currently applies to all international visitors (with limited exemptions) entering the United States. This includes visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (effective September 30, 2004.) US-VISIT does not apply to U.S. citizens.

On December 19, 2008, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a Final Rule in the Federal Register that expands the categories of non-U.S. citizens required to provide biometrics—digital fingerprints and a photograph—upon entry or re-entry to the United States through the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) Program.

Currently, certain non-U.S. citizens arriving at U.S. air, land and sea ports of entry with nonimmigrant visas or those traveling without a visa as part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are subject to US-VISIT procedures. Under this final rule, all non-U.S. citizens, except Canadians applying for admission to the United States as B-1/B-2 visitors for business or pleasure and those specifically exempted, will experience US-VISIT procedures when entering the country.

Effective January 18, 2009, the following additional non-U.S. citizens will be required to provide biometrics when entering or re-entering the United States:

Lawful permanent residents of the United States (LPRs);
Persons entering the United States who seek admission on immigrant visas;
Persons entering the United States who seek admission as refugees and asylees;
Canadian citizens who are currently required to obtain a Form I-94 (Arrival-Departure Record) upon entry or who require a waiver of inadmissibility to enter the United States (this excludes most Canadian citizens entering the United States for purposes of shopping, visiting friends and family, vacation or short business trips);
Persons paroled into the United States; and
Persons applying for admission under the Guam VWP.

Including these additional non-U.S. citizens in US-VISIT processing is not expected to impact processing or wait times at U.S. ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will retain the discretion to refer travelers for secondary inspection.

For more information about the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), visit the link below:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#travelertype

For Frequently Asked Questions regarding ESTA click the URL below:
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1212498415724.shtm

For more information about the US VISIT Procedures click on the URL below:
http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/content_multi_image_0006.shtm

NOTE: If you require a letter of invitation, please email uconnect2010@gs1us.org and make sure VISA LETTER is in the subject of the email. In your email, include name and title of attendees, their passport number, company name, address, telephone and fax.