INTERNATIONAL

 

Procedures for International Attendees

Important: New Travel Regulation for International Visitors Takes Effect

Effective January 20, 2010, inbound travelers to the United States from Visa Waiver Program countries may be denied boarding by the airlines if they haven’t complied with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization program.  Please click here for more detailed information.

• ASCE/SEI encourage you to process any required visa documents at least 6 months in advance of the conference date. Please note that the U.S. Department of State now requires you to appear for a personal interview in order to apply for a visa and requires that you have a machine-readable passport. Some consulates have up to a four-month waiting period for an interview, so please contact your nearest consulate as soon as possible to request an interview date.

• If you have difficulty getting a timely interview appointment, contact Narcy Ibanez at ASCE (international@asce.org), and we will do what we can to help. ASCE cannot refund registration fees after the registration cutoff date due to an individual's inability to obtain a visa. Please file your paperwork as far in advance as possible in order to be eligible for a refund prior to the registration cutoff date.

• Please note a new process for some who travel to the US. All travelers from countries that have a Visa Waiver Program with the US are required to obtain approval through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). The new system is designed to ease travel for those from the visa waiver countries. This web-based system takes only a few minutes to complete. Unlike passport checks, the airlines will not be verifying ESTA registration prior to boarding, so please make sure you have obtained approval before embarking on your journey to avoid being refused entry. To ascertain if you fall within the Visa Waiver Category, please follow the link to the ESTA registration site and complete the application online: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html.

• To request a letter of invitation to attend the conference, please send an e-mail to international@asce.org. You will receive a letter via airmail to the address that you provide. Please indicate if you want to receive an additional copy via your e-mail address or via fax.

• Letters cannot be e-mailed or sent to the Embassy or U.S. Consulate. ASCE cannot intervene on behalf of the invitees with the Embassy or U.S. Consulate via fax, phone, surface mail, or e-mail.

• The U.S. Department of State provides information on traveling to the United States regarding passports, international travel, etc. Their Web site is accessible via http://travel.state.gov/visa

• If you are unable to obtain a visa, cancellations must be received in writing at ASCE Headquarters by October 3, 2012 to receive a refund of registration fees. A $65 processing fee will be deducted from all refunds.

• If you have any questions, please contact international@asce.org.