Visa Information
APS's visa web site provides APS members and international visitors with information and news on matters related to U.S. visas. This site serves as a resource for updates on U.S. visa policy as well as information on how to apply for a visa to the United States.
Visa News
Applicants for U.S. Visa Do NOT Need to Leave Passport, October 2006.
“US Visa Difficulties Are Lessening, but More Must Be Done," Physics Today (published by The American Institute of Physics), page 49, February 2005. Article by APS Director of International Affairs, Dr. Amy K. Flatten.
"Recommendations for Enhancing the U.S. Visa System to Advance America's Scientific and Economic Competitiveness and National Security Interests," May 2005 (PDF).
"Statement and Recommendations on Visa Problems Harming America's Scientific, Economic, and Security Interests" (PDF) signed by 25 scientific and academic organizations, including the APS, May 2004.
See also:
Press release (PDF) issued by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of American Universities
National Academies' Presidents Comment (13 May 2004) on U.S. Visa Policies
APS Resources
Advice for Foreign Nationals Traveling to the United States
Advice for Organizers of International Physics Conferences in the United States
Results from 2002 APS Visa Survey of PhD-granting Departments
Also available as PDF
Archived Information from the APS March Meeting 2004, Montreal, Canada
APS News Articles:
"Quinn Receives State Department Response on Improved Visa Process," November 2004
"APS Joins Science Organizations in Urging Better Visa Regulations," July 2004
"Proposed New Department Complicates Outlook for Visas," August/September 2002
"APS News Survey Tracks Chinese Student Visa Problems," November 2001
APS Statements:
Regarding Free Circulation at IUPAP-Sponsored Meetings (Statement 92.2b), April 1992
Visa Rules and Government Procedures Hampering U.S. Science and Technology (Statement 03.1), June 2003
Other Resources
U.S. Department of State:
UnitedStatesVisas.gov, the official source of information about U.S. visa policy and procedures. Managed by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Bureau of Consular Affairs web site posts Visa Wait Times to estimate how long it may take for nonimmigrant visa applications to be processed and ready to be picked up at specific Consular Sections.
Technology Alert List (TAL)
The TAL is used to determine the “ineligibility [of] aliens who are coming to engage in an activity involving one of the scientific or technical fields on the TAL. Such activity includes graduate-level studies, teaching, conducting research, participating in exchange programs, receiving training or employment, or engaging in commercial transactions.”
Report: "Border Security: Streamlined Visas Mantis Program has Lowered Burden on Foreign Science Students and Scholars, but Further Refinements Needed" (PDF) February 2005.
See Report Highlights (PDF)Report: "Border Security: Improvements Needed to Reduce Time Taken to Adjudicate Visas for Science Students and Scholars" (PDF) February 2004.
See the Summary or Highlights (PDF) of the GAO reportThe National Academies' International Visitors Office
U.S. Meeting Organizers: Please note the information on how to register certain international meetings with the U.S. Department of State.
Other:
Principle of the Universality of Science from the International Council for Science (ICSU)
NAFSA: Association of International Educators: Provides various resources for immigration advisors.
"Physics Students from Abroad in the Post-9/11 Era," June 2003, from the American Institute of Physics (AIP).
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): provides an Immigration Lawyer Referral Service.
