Visas/Invitation Letters

For travel to the 52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium, 17-20 June 2018 and the 2nd International Discrete Fracture Network Engineering Conference, 20 – 22 June 2018.

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

For travel to the 52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, 17-20 June 2018 and the 2nd International Discrete Fracture Network Engineering Conference, 20 – 22 June 2018, 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 overview of Business (B-1) visa’s.

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.

Visa requirements
Please see if your country of origin is on the Visa Waiver Program list; if it is on the list please follow Option One. If your country of origin is not on the Visa Waiver Program list please follow Option Two.

Option 1 (Visa Waiver Program)
For those traveling without a visa to the United States from one of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, you do not need a visa to come to the United States, however you do need a machine readable passport. If your country is not yet issuing machine-readable passports, you will need to obtain a visa for travel to the United States. In order to obtain your Visa please follow Option 2.

International visitors to the United States from Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries are also now required to apply for travel authorization online via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). For more information regarding this recent change, please visit the ESTA website.

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 US embassy to ensure they have proper documentation.

• U.S. Department of State visa information

Option 2 (Visa Required)
All travelers to the U.S. require a visa unless from a VWP country (see above). The following information will assist you in obtaining a visa in time for travel to the 52nd U.S. Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 17-20 June, 2018 and the 2nd International Discrete Fracture Network Engineering Conference, 20 – 22 June 2018:

• Non-immigrant temporary visa processing (B-1 visa)
• U.S. State Department Visa Wizard

Additional information

• Locate an embassy worldwide
• Business Visa Center.

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).
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended 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.
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before 26 October 2005 are not subject to further requirements.

To determine if you have a machine-readable passport, visit the Visa Waiver Program Page.

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 TSA Secure Flight Program.