Visa Information

To request a participant letter for visa purposes, click on the link below and submit the request form.

Request a Letter of Participation

Conference participants are urged to request their visas early as there are often delays in this process.

Questions should be directed to Kira Honnoll at khonnoll@hou.usra.edu.

Visa Waiver Countries —

Citizens of countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program do not need to apply for a visa to attend the conference. They may enter the United States using their passports and their conference registration receipt.

All Visa Waiver travelers will be required to obtain an authorization from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security via ESTA (the Electronic System for Travel Authorization) before traveling to the United States; the website is https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.

At the port of entry into the United States, conference participants should request they be granted “Visa Waiver for Business” (WB) status. This will allow participants to stay in the U.S. for the length of the conference.

To see if your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

Non-Visa Waiver Countries —

Citizens of countries that DO NOT participate in the Visa Waiver Program will need to request a Business Visa (B-1) at their nearest U.S. Consulate. They must present their conference registration receipt and their valid passport at the U.S. Consulate.

Canada —

In most cases, Canadian business travelers may apply for temporary admission at a U.S. port of entry without first obtaining a nonimmigrant visa. At the port of entry, Canadian citizens attending the symposium should request a B-1 Temporary Business Visitor and provide evidence of identity and Canadian nationality (i.e., Canadian passport), evidence of a residence in Canada and intent to depart the U.S. (roundtrip airline ticket), and documentation describing their business purpose (conference registration confirmation).

If you have any questions, please contact Kira Honnoll at khonnoll@hou.usra.edu.