Important Visa Information

Partner and Latin American Countries
Visa types: The two main types of short term visas are B-1 and B-2. The B-1 visa is for business travel, while the B-2 visa is intended for tourist visits; conference participants should travel on a B-1 visa. The U.S. Embassy or Consulate will usually issue a combined B-1/B-2 visa, but when entering the U.S., the Immigrations officer will stamp the visa as either a B-1 or B-2 visa. Participants who expect to receive expense reimbursement must request a B-1 visa. The University is not allowed to pay participants who have entered on a B-2 visa.

Links:
U.S. Embassy, Moscow: http://usembassy.state.gov/moscow/
U.S. Consulate General, St. Petersburg: http://www.usia.gov/abtusia/posts/RS2/wwwhre1a.html
U.S. Consulate General,  Yekaterinburg: http://www.uscgyekat.ur.ru/
U.S. Embassy, Kiev: http://www.usemb.kiev.ua/
U.S. Missions Online:
Main Page: http://www.state.gov/www/regions_missions.html
Europe and the New Independent States:http://www.state.gov/www/regions_missions.html#Europe

NATO Countries
Visa waivers: Visas are not necessary for participants from countries covered by the visa waiver program (which include most European countries, Australia, and Japan). Visitors from those countries will be issued a visa waiver when passing through U.S. Customes and Immigration. The waiver will be of one of two forms, WB (business waiver), or WT (tourist waiver); the WB waiver is analogous to a B-1 visa, and the WT waiver is analogous to a B-2 visa. As with B-2 visas, the University cannot pay expenses of participants travelling on a WT waiver. It is therefore essential that participants expecting to receive expense reimbursement request a WB, and not a WT type waiver, upon entering the U.S.