International Registrants
What to Expect if You are Applying for a Visa to the United States
If you need to apply for a temporary non-immigrant visa to attend The SCAI Annual Scientific Sessions in Partnership with ACC i2 Summit, you are advised to apply for your visa as soon as travel to the United States is contemplated and not later than 3 – 4 months in advance. Individuals traveling to the United States are advised to begin their visa application process immediately. If your country is on the United States’ list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, you should start the application process at least 6 months in advance of the meeting.
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.
- SCAI and/or ACC cannot intervene with the U.S. State Department or an American embassy in another country on behalf of any meeting participant.
- Investigate whether your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program to bypass the visa process altogether. As of 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.
- As of September 30, 2004, all foreign visitors (including Visa Waiver Program travelers) will be fingerprinted and photographed upon arrival in the U.S.
- The International Visitors Office (IVO) of the National Academies has excellent resources on all visa-related issues for the National Academies, Academy members, and the scientific community.
Official Documentation for Attendees and/or Presenters
SCAI and ACC provide several documents that will document your participation in the national meeting & exposition. Please note that SCAI and ACC cannot intervene with either the U.S. Embassy abroad or with the U.S. State Department on behalf of any participant.
- Official Letter of Invitation for Meeting Attendees: SCAI and ACC offer an Official Letter of Invitation to SCAI-ACCi2. You can submit this letter with your visa application to verify the name, dates, location and purpose of SCAI-ACCi2. If you require a personalized Letter of Invitation, please contact the ACC Resource Center at (202) 375-6000, ext. 5603 or resource@acc.org.
- Registration Confirmation: Once you have registered for the meeting you should receive an email confirmation, you can also bring your registration confirmation paperwork to your visa interview. If you do not receive an email confirmation please email chicago08meeting@jspargo.com
- Send your questions to: American College of Cardiology, Resource Center, 2400 N Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037 USA (Tel: (202) 375-6000, ext. 5603; Fax: (202) 375-7000; resource@acc.org).
Visa Delays or Denials: If your visa application to attend SCAI-ACCi2 is delayed or denied, we want to know. If your application is still pending after forty-five days and you are at risk to miss the meeting, report your case to the National Academies. Complete the questionnaire at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Visa_Questionnaire.html and answer the question “Purpose of Visit” by typing "The SCAI Annual Scientific Sessions in Partnership with ACC i2 Summit" to help the National Academies identify you as a SCAI-ACCi2 meeting participant.
Preparing for Your SCAI-ACCi2 Experience
After you complete your visa application, it is time to prepare to travel to The SCAI Annual Scientific Sessions in Partnership with ACC i2 Summit.
SCAI and ACC do not provide financial support to meeting participants. Airfare, ground transportation, hotel, meals, travel insurance, and any other local expenses are the responsibility of each meeting participant.
Currency Exchange: The Universal Currency Converter allows you to perform interactive foreign exchange rate conversion on the internet.
Consulates/Embassies: Listing of Embassies and Consulates inside the United States.
Group Registrations
Please click here to register your group and manage your group block online under the Group Registration & Housing section.
Downloads
- Official Letter of Invitation