APS Contact:	Michele Irwin
	Office of International Affairs, APS
	(301) 209-3237
	mirwin@aps.org

To minimize possible difficulties associated with obtaining a visa, we recommend that visa applications be submitted at the nearest American Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible (three months prior to departure is strongly suggested). Participants should present their entire trip itinerary, including travel plans to any countries other than the United States, along with their visa application. If completion of travel plans is contingent upon early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of filing the visa application. If a consular officer complains that an applicant is applying "too early," we can intervene if notified.

In addition to providing proof of your scientific status, it will be useful to also provide proof of "binding ties" to your current country of residence. This includes such things as:

 

•	family ties in your current country of residence
•	property ownership
•	a bank account
•	an employment contract or statement from your employer, which proves that your position will continue after the dates of the meeting

Applicants from "sensitive" countries (such as China, Russia, India and countries in Eastern Europe) applying to consulates in third countries need to pay special heed to the fact that their applications will be referred to the State Department in Washington, DC for review, making the application process longer.

Should you encounter any difficulties in obtaining a visa, please inform us immediately. We will best be able to assist you with any visa difficulties if you provide us with the following information as soon possible:

•	date of visa application
•	which US embassy or consulate you applied to
•	reason cited by embassy/consulate for the delay or denial
•	your nationality
•	passport number
•	date of birth
•	date and place of issuance of your passport
•	cable number, if known (only relevant if consulate or embassy forwarded application to the State Department)

The American Physical Society Office of International Affairs is located on the web at:

http://positron.aps.org/intaff/index.shtml

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Visa Application Update from the APS: 7/24/00

ORGANIZERS:

Betty Tsang, NSCL, Michigan State University, USA   tsang@nscl.msu.edu
John M. D'Auria, Simon Fraser University, Canada   dauria@sfu.ca
Kudo, Hisaaki, Niigata University, Japan   hkudo@sc.niigata-u.ac.jp

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