International

ASCE encourages you to process any required visa documents at least 6 months in advance of the conference date. Please remember 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, please contact Katerina Lachinova (klachinova@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 klachinova@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.

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/temp/types/types_1262.html.

If you are unable to obtain a Visa, cancellations must be received in writing at ASCE Headquarters by July 28, 2010, to receive a refund of registration fees. A $50 Processing fee will be deducted from all refunds.

If you have any questions about the conference or on how to prepare or present your papers, please contact Cliff Jones at cliffj@ppic.com.