International Services

• About OIS

  • Hours and Location
  • Mission and Goals
  • Organizational Chart
  • Meet our Staff
  • Emergency Contact Information
  • Contact Us

• International Center

  • Programs & Events
  • IC History
  • Student Groups
  • Bloomington Worldwide Friendship

• Student & Scholar Advising

  • Students

    • F-1 Students
    • J-1 Students
    • Orientation

  • Faculty, Staff, & Visitors

    • J-1 Scholars
    • H-1B Employees
    • Permanent Residence
    • Short-term Visitors
  • Living in the U.S.
• Site Map

• Indiana University

  • About IU
  • Bloomington
  • Indianapolis
  • East
  • Fort Wayne
  • Kokomo
  • Northwest
  • South Bend
  • Southeast

 Login  Prepaid Long Distance  Campus Map  Statistical Reports  Donate to OIS  iOffice 2.0

⇒ Student & Scholar Advising ⇒ Faculty, Staff, & Visitors ⇒ Short-term Visitors ⇒ General Information on Short-Term Visitors and Conference Participants

General Information on Short-Term Visitors and Conference Participants

Most foreign short-term visitors and conference participants will be entering the United States in business or tourist status.  There generally is no need for special invitation letters for foreign nationals.  The usual conference information and/or invitation letters will be sufficient.  Invitations should include any specifics about who will be paying travel and expenses and about any honoraria.

Participants who must apply for visas at an American consulate should use their invitation letters in applying for a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) or B-1/B-2 (business/tourist) visa.

Nationals of the 27 countries eligible for the visa waiver program are not required to apply for visa stamps in their passports and may travel to the US after presenting a round-trip ticket and a machine-readable passport to the airlines.  Click here for more information on the Visa Waiver Program.  Refer these visitors specifically to the guidelines on machine-readable passports.  They will enter as WB (Waived Business) or WT (Waived Tourist) visitors.

At the port of entry to the US, each person will go through a Customs and Border Protection inspection and be issued an I-94 card (Departure Record, small white or light green card stapled in their passport).   Make a copy of this I-94 while they are here if you are covering any expenses or paying an honorarium; Financial Management Services (FMS) asks for a copy with the Disbursement Voucher and the I-94 card is turned in and will no longer be available when the visitor leaves the US.

As a general planning guideline, if a visa is needed, a foreign traveler should apply as soon as possible, and no later than 60 days before the travel date.  If the conference is scientific in nature, or the applicant has a scientific background, the visa application should be made no later than 90 days in advance of the travel.  Visa applicants will need to schedule an interview appointment as a first step in the visa process.  See this page to see how long it will take to schedule an interview appointment at each US Embassy and Consulate abroad.  Wait times vary by embassy and time of year; the information is updated weekly.  Please note: Additional time beyond the guidelines above is needed for visa applicants applying at some embassies, due to the time required to schedule an interview appointment.  Additionally, the interview wait times do not include time for required security clearances or administrative processing, which take place after the interview and may extend beyond the general timeframe guidelines.

For information on making payments, see the FMS Information.

Payment procedures may not be the same if your payment is processed through the IU Foundation.  Contact the Foundation at 855-3144.

If you will be paying an honorarium, ask in advance if the recipient has ever had a US Social Security number.  If there is no SSN, the person will need to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).  Contact OIS for information about applying for an ITIN.

If any conference participants are already in the United States at the time of the conference, ask what visa status they have.  A copy of their most recent I-94 card will give you that information.  Be aware that persons already in the US may have a visa type that prevents their being paid an honorarium.

The Business Visa Center at the Department of State provides an opportunity for organizations to register large conferences (more than 100 visa applications expected).  Visit here for information about large conference registration and other helpful information.