Visa Requirements

For your convenience we provide a short summary of the United States (US) visa policy on this page assuming that you will visit the US for the purpose of attending Interspeech 2006. Detailed official information can be found on www.travel.state.gov .

Every citizen of a foreign country wishing to visit the US temporarily will need:

• a valid passport
• a Temporary Visitor Visa
  (this visa requirement can be waived IFF the rules for the Visa Waiver Program apply to you - see information below)

Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

If your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program you can travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

Currently 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Passport Requirements under VWP

If you are a VWP traveler, you must present a machine-readable passport (MRP). Previous one-time exemptions for first-time VWP travelers without MRPs ended on June 26, 2005. In addition, depending on when VWP travelers' passport were issued, other passport requirements apply:

• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before 10/26/05
  - no further requirements.
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended between 10/26/05 and 10/25/06
  - requires digital photograph printed on the data page or integrated chip with information from the data page.
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after 10/26/06
  - requires integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport).
• Temporary, emergency, official and diplomatic passports are exempted from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine-readable.
• Austrian, Italian, French and Temporary German Passports see here

Immigration Procedure under VWP

If you travel under the VWP program, you will get an I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival-Departure Record (green form) which is freely provided by travel agencies or airlines prior to arrival. You will have to fill in the form, sign it, and present this to the US officials at the port of entry.

You will also be asked to provide evidence of onward travel or other documentation on the purpose of your stay in the US. So, please have the information about your hotel name or address of stay available.

At the port of entry the US officials will take your fingerprints, take a photo, and will enroll you in the Department of Homeland Security. The port of entry is the airport where you enter the US, not the final destination. For example, if you travel from Frankfurt to Pittsburgh via Amsterdam and Detroit, Michigan, the port of entry is Detroit, Michigan. Depending on airport and/or traffic volume the immigration procedure may take 20 to 90 minutes, so we recommend that you plan for ample time between your connections.

Visa Application - No VWP

If your country does NOT participate in the Visa Waiver Program or if your country does participate but your passport does not meet the requirements, you must apply for a Temporary Visitor Visa. Apply for your Visa well in advance of your travel!

Important steps to remember:

• Review your visa status, and find out if you need a US visa or a renewal.
• Review the visa wait times information for interview appointments and visa processing at each embassy and consular section worldwide available on the official website (see above) at Visa Wait Times. Visit the embassy or consular section website where you will apply for your visa to find out how to schedule an interview appointment, pay fees and any other instructions.
• Plan on an interview at the embassy or consulate, which is required for most visa applicants. As part of the visa interview, a quick fingerprint scan should be expected. Applicants who need additional screening are informed during the application process.

Check this page for information about how to get a Visitor Visa Visitor Visa
Here is the Visa Service Page for Foreigners Traveling to the US.
Here you find a comprehensive step-by-step document on how to optain a visa. Obtain a visa

You will most certainly apply for a B1 visa and you may request an Invitation Letter from the Organization Committee of Interspeech to support your application.
Please send email to Carol Patterson and provide the following information

1. Your full name (family name, given name)
2. Your postal address, including title and first and last name
3. Your name as you would like it to appear in the greeting, including title
4. Paper title OR Registration number
5. Your fax number if you need a fax

Please note that names and addresses will be pasted into the document EXACTLY as you send them. Please make sure that the address format is complete, that the title (Dr., Mr., Ms., Prof., etc.) is accurate, and that the name is spelled as it is in your passport.

EXAMPLE

1. Smith, John

2. Dr. John Smith
   School of Computer Science
   Carnegie Mellon University
   5000 Forbes Avenue
   Pittsburgh, PA 15213 USA

3. Dr. Smith

4. Paper title: Robust speech recognition in the car

5. +1 412-555-1212