Visa Preparation
*To request a formal letter of invitation for your visa application, please fill out the Visa Request Form*
Please note that the visa process can be lengthy.
APPLY WELL IN ADVANCE of the meeting.
**
Registration refunds will be considered on a case by case basis
if you encounter issues arising from securing your visa
in time for the AAA Annual Meeting
**
Interactive Table of Contents
- Information Highlights
- Visa Waiver Program Regulations
- Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
- E-PASSPORT
- B-1 Visa
- Additional Visa and Passport Information
- Questions?
Information Highlights
Under a new information collection procedure approved by the U.S. State Department, both visitors and would-be immigrants may be asked for extensive background information, including biographical data for the previous 15 years and social media handles going back as far as five years.
In light of the increased vetting of some visa applicants by U.S. embassies around the world, the AAA is urging all non-U.S. citizens traveling to our Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, this November to inquire about Visa requirements in relation to their home countries.
Visa Waiver Program Regulations
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa when they meet all the requirements. Travelers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel. If you prefer to have a visa in your passport, you may still apply for a visitor (B) visa.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
The Department of Homeland Security has established the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an automated system to determine eligibility to travel under the Visa Waiver Program. All persons traveling under the VWP must apply for an ESTA. Approved ESTA applications are good for a period of two years.
- ESTA application website; $14 fee for each application
- The ESTA application will immediately tell you if you are approved, if your request is pending, or if you are not approved (with information about next steps).
E-PASSPORT
Effective April 1, 2016, travelers using the VWP must have an e-passport. These passports have a machine-readable zone on the biographic page and a digital chip containing biometric information about the passport owner.
B-1 Visa
If you have traveled to one of the countries listed below since March 1, 2011, you will need a B-1 visa ($160) to travel to the U.S. (i.e. the VWP no longer applies to you).
- Iran
- Iraq
- Libya
- Somalia
- Syria
- Sudan
- Yemen
Additional Visa and Passport Information
We urge members to apply for a Visa well in advance of the Annual Meeting and as soon as possible.
*To request a formal letter of invitation for your visa application, please fill out the Visa Request Form*
Questions?
Reach the AAA Director of Meetings and Conferences, Nate Wambold, CMP, by filling out the form below.
[contact-form to=”nwambold@americananthro.org” subject=”Visa Question about 2021 AAA Annual Meeting”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Message” type=”textarea”][/contact-form]