PFT

2010

Seattle

Washington

U.S.A.

“Seafood Winds of Change”

61st Pacific Fisheries Technologists Conference
February 21-24, 2010  Seattle, Washington USA

Visa Information

PFT attendees traveling to the United States may need to apply for a visa at the American Embassy, Consulate or other visa-issuing office in their country of origin. This process may take many weeks or several months so apply as soon as possible, no later than three months in advance of PFT 2010. For information on U.S. visa policies and procedures, visit http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov

One factor contributing to the increase in the processing time is a personal interview which is now required for most applicants as a standard part of the visa processing. If you need a visa to enter the U.S., contact the embassy or consulate to schedule an appointment for screening.

All letters of invitation will be sent by airmail and email as a PDF file. Please allow ample time for processing requests.

PFT is not able to contact U.S. Embassies in support of an individual attempting to gain entry into the host country to attend the conference.

For detailed information about applying for a visa refer to Department of State website and the National Academies International Visitors Office website.

The U.S. Department of State advises those who wish to travel to the United States for business to plan ahead. There is a website that provides estimated waiting periods to get an interview to apply for a visa and the estimated time that it will take to process the application at the consular. It is best to check with the local embassy or consular section to confirm the information. To review the wait times site, visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php.

A "Letter of Invitation" is supplementary information that explains the visa applicant's intended purpose of travel. U.S. Embassies and Consulates do not have one specific inviational letter format. Consular officers consider the totality of an applicants personal situation in determining visa eligibility. Supporting documents, such as a "letter of invitation", are often useful, but are not decisive in determining visa eligibility. Having a letter of invitation from a U.S. source does not guarantee that a visa will be issued to you. Request a letter of invitation here.