HOME CONTACT SITE MAP APA ONLINE

International Home

About Us

Committee on International Relations (CIRP)

APA at the United Nations

Calendar of International Meetings

Psychology International

Journal & Book Programs

International Awards and Grants

Links to International Organizations & Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

    Convention

    Join APA

    Divisions

Image

FIND IT: International (A-Z)  A B C D E F G H I J M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Convention banner


What to Expect When Applying for a Visa to the USA

Most visitors will enter the United States a temporary non-immigrant visa, or will be from a country that participates in the Visa Waiver program and will not need to apply for a visa as long as they possess a machine readable passport.



Temporary non-immigrant visa: You are advised to apply for your visa as soon as you know you will be traveling to the United States and not later than 3-4 months in advance of the convention (i.e., by April 2008). If your country is on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, you should start the application process at least 6 months in advance of the meeting (i.e., in February).

Visa Application Guidelines: Keep these guidelines in mind as you apply for a non-immigrant temporary visa to travel to the United States:

  • As part of new security procedures, visa applications are being sent to the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC, to be thoroughly reviewed and this process can take several months before the consulate in your home country will schedule your interview. Check with your local U.S. consulate or embassy to find out how early you should apply at http://travel.state.gov/visa/questions_embassy.html and how long the typical wait time is for a visa application within your home country at http://travel.his.com/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php.

  • All applicants must be able to qualify for a visa on their own merits under the requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
  • APA cannot intervene with the U.S. State Department or anAmerican embassy in another country on behalf of any meetingparticipant.

Visa Waiver Program: Investigate whether your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program to bypass the visa process altogether. Beginning October 26, 2004, ALL citizens of the Visa Waiver Program are required to have Machine-Readable Passports (MRP) in order to travel to the United States without a visa. Without a MRP, you will be required to apply for a visa.

Beginning September 30, 2004, all foreign visitors (including Visa Waiver Program travelers) will be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival in the U.S.

Consulates/Embassies: Click here for a listing of Embassies and Consulates inside the United States.




Back to Top^

© 2008 AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
750 FIRST STREET NE • Washington, DC • 20002-4242
PHONE: 202-336-6025 • TDD/TTY: 202-336-6123
FAX: 202-312-6499 • EMAIL
PSYCHNET® | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY STATEMENT | SECURITY | ADVERTISE WITH US