Visas and Letters of Invitation

VISA INFORMATION AND LETTERS OF INVITATION

With thanks to the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) for the following information

To assist you in attending the ARMA symposium, the following information will help to obtain a visa to visit the U.S..

Ensure that you have a visa in time for the symposium by beginning the visa process early. Start by reading the U.S. Department of State's step-by-step outline on how to obtain a visa.

Step 1—Visa requirements:
Option 1—Choose option 1 if your originating country is not on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) list.
Option 2—Choose option 2 if your originating country is on the VWP list.
Visit the Visa Waiver Program site to see if your country is on the VWP list.

Option 1 (Visa required)
All travelers to the US require a visa unless from a VWP country.

Visa information you need in time for travel to San Francisco, California:

Supporting documents for visa applicants—Invitation letter
Upon your request, ARMA will send a letter of invitation to attend the symposium. This letter outlines the reason for your travel and can be used as a supporting document in your visa application.

If you would like a letter of invitation, please CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A LETTER REQUEST FORM. Fill out this form and email as soon as possible to ARMA Registrar . Be sure to include your complete name, mailing address, country of origin, email address (if different from that which the request was sent), paper number and title (if applicable). If the letter is not to be sent to you, please include the recipients name, mailing address and email address.

Please note: This letter of invitation does not guarantee that you will be granted a visa, nor does it commit ARMA to assist you in obtaining a visa. ARMA will not pay any expenses incurred by you. It is the sole responsibility of the attendee to obtain the necessary paperwork for entry to the U.S. It may take additional time to obtain travel documents. It is advisable to start the process early.

Additional information

apply for a business related (B-1) visitor visa
check on visa wait times for an interview appointment
locate an embassy worldwide
find out how to make an interview appointment, pay the visa application fee, and much more at the U.S. Department of State Business Visa Center.

Option 2 (Visa Waiver Program)
For those traveling without a visa to the United States from one of the 35 VWP countries, a machine-readable passport is now required. If your country is not yet issuing machine-readable passports, you will need to obtain a visa for travel as referred to in Option 1. For more information regarding machine-readable passports, please refer to Step 3 below.
International visitors to the United States from VWP countries are also now required to apply for travel authorization online via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Please note that the information listed above is a general guideline for travel to the United States. Because travel requirements may change, ARMA recommends that attendees contact their local embassy to ensure they have proper documentation.
U.S. Department of State visa information

Step 2—U.S.-VISIT Program

All travel to the U.S. with a non-immigrant visa, regardless of country of origin, requires registration in the US-VISIT Program. This includes visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program. Scans are needed of your two index fingers and a digital photograph in order to match and authenticate travel documents at the port of entry. US-VISIT requirements do not replace visa requirements for entering the United States.
Ports of entry
View US-VISIT multilingual videos and brochures.

Step 3—Machine-readable passport requirements
All VWP travelers to the U.S., regardless of age or type of passport used, must present a machine-readable passport. Depending on when travelers’ passports were issued, other requirements may apply:

Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended

on or after 26 October 2006—require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-Passport)
between 26 October 2005 and 25 October 2006—require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page
before 26 October 2005—are not subject to further requirements

To determine if you have a machine-readable passport, visit the US Visa Information site.

Machine-readable passport requirements

Important note
Travelers may now be asked to provide their name as it appears on the government ID they plan to use when traveling. Airlines will also begin asking passengers to provide their date of birth and gender, as part of the TAS Secure Flight Program.

Additional links
Contact US embassies and consulates abroad
Consular Affairs
Visa services (for international persons traveling to US)
Visitor visas for business and pleasure
Visa Waiver Program Visa application forms
Nonimmigrant visa photo requirements
Visa services fees