Notes for International Attendees
International participants are welcome; this page gives some practical information. Please familiarize yourself with travel requirements well in advance —and if you need a visa, apply early!SORMA does not anticipate offering organized tours of LBNL or other laboratories in the area. SORMA attendees who want to visit a specific person are welcome to contact that person and make individual arrangements. Their LBNL host can then handle the usual site-access procedures for visitors.
Local Contact
If you need to specify a "local contact" or "host" for your visa or institutional paperwork, we suggestLinda Matyas
Administrative coordinator, SORMA West 2012
LBNL, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 50R4112
Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
Tel. 1.510.486.5345
Do you need a visa?
Attendees from many countries will be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.Visiting under VWP
To take advantage of VWP, you need to register with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before your trip.Consumer Protection Notice: The government cautions you that third parties who charge money for a "service" related to ESTA are not capable of expediting approval. The link shown above takes you to the official US Government site, which explains the process and allows you to enroll online in ESTA for a small fee if you are from a Visa Waiver Program country.
In general you will need a machine-readable passport in order to visit the US without a visa. Most countries have been issuing them for the last several years. Here is the US Department of Homeland Security's illustrated guide to the eligible generations of passports and when they came into use.
Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda
The US has special arrangements with adjoining nations and Bermuda.- Most Canadian citizens will not need a visa; they may enter the US using their passport, along with their Conference Registration Notice. (A passport is technically not the only acceptable document for Canadian citizens but we recommend it as the surest and smoothest means of entry and return.) Please request, at the port of entry, status as a Visitor for Business (B-1).
- Mexican citizens would usually apply for a Border Crossing Card or "laser visa," along with their passport and Conference Registration Notice. Please request, at the port of entry, status as a Visitor for Business (B-1).
How do you get a visa?
Citizens of countries not participating in the Visa Waiver Program will need to request a Business (B-1) visa at the nearest U.S. Consulate. Call them them to set up an appointment. When you go to the Consulate, take a copy of your Conference Registration Notice, along with your valid passport. We urge you to apply as soon as you can, because the process can take time.Usually you would apply for a B-1 visa as a nonsponsored attendee of an international scientific workshop, or a B-2 visa for tourism.
The Travel site at the U.S. Department of State is the official source for information on visas and everything else you should know about visiting the US. Be sure to apply early!
Visa Letters and Other Helpful Documentation
If you need an official letter from us as part of your visa application, please email us at sorma@lbl.gov. Official visa letters will be sent, upon request, to people with verifiable scholarly credentials in the field who have abstracts in our database, and to non-presenting would-be attendees upon paid registration. These letters do not imply financial support or invitation by SORMA.If you are giving a talk or poster, you will automatically receive an acceptance letter. Only submitting and presenting authors get an acceptance letter.
Copies of your round-trip itinerary, a printout of registration for SORMA, evidence of your stature as a scholar (such as your curriculum vitae, including publications list), and evidence of your binding ties to your home country are also known to be helpful in obtaining a visa. Apply as soon as you can.
Further helpful advice may be found on the National Academies website.
