Information for International Participants


 FUZZ-IEEE 2005 has been registered with the US State Department. Here are some messages from the US State Department for international attendees about procedures for obtaining a visa, if needed. Foreign participants should apply for their visas as early as possible--we are recommending at least 3 months before the meeting. However, 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. Since September 11, 2001, visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny than in the past. The timeframes for visa processing today are difficult to predict with accuracy for any individual applicant, and will vary significantly by country. The State Department is working hard with other government agencies to rationalize clearance procedures in ways that continue to protect U.S. borders, our first priority, while facilitating legitimate travel.

 For many nonimmigrant visa applicants, a personal appearance interview is now required as a standard part of visa processing, and contact will need to made by the traveler with the embassy or consulate to schedule an appointment for an interview. Additionally, applicants who need additional screening are informed at the time they submit their applications. These steps can take additional time to process a visa.

Please note that Embassy Consular Sections overseas have sole responsibility for issuance of visas, and they generally are the first point of contact for visa processing status. Visa Services at the Department of State is not able to expedite the processing of visa applications.

Some foreign participants may not need visas if they are citizens of any of the countries on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  However, after October 26, 2004, all citizens of VWP countries must have a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP) in order to travel to the United States without a visa. If they do not have an MRP, they will need to apply for a visa. For further information on the Visa Waiver Program and for the list of countries see: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html.
In addition, all foreign visitors (including Visa Waiver Program travelers as of September 30, 2004) will be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival in the United States.

Information about Getting a Visa and Coming to the U.S - As soon as travel to the United States is contemplated, foreign travelers should identify whether a visa is needed. If the traveler has a U.S. visa, check the expiration date to make sure that the visa will not expire before the planned travel date.  For visa waiver countries, citizens of those countries meeting the visa waiver criteria will not need a visa.  If you do not know whether you can travel without a visa, using this program, review the Visa Waiver Program information on the internet at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html 

- Information about visitor visas, and what a person needs to apply, is available on the Department of State's Visa Services website at: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/index.html.  After identifying that a visa is needed, foreign travelers should contact the Embassy Consular Section in their country to determine visa processing timeframes. We recommend contacting the Consular Section via internet at http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html. Look for posted timeframes on the internet or call the Consular Section to hear recorded information about visa processing timeframes.
- The Department of State's recommended first source of up-to-date visa information is their internet site at http://www.travel.state.gov. 

In the event that you need an invitation letter from the conference organizers in order to proceed with your travel arrangements, please contact Jim Bezdek via email <jbezdek@uwf.edu>. State the exact nature of your visit, and please be specific about your reason(s) for needing the visa. Jim will send you a letter as soon as you have registered for the conference, paid the required fee, and your credit card has cleared. According to the IEEE, this information may be required by the US state department in order for the letter to be acceptable.