The International Plant and Animal Genome conference welcomes visitors from over 50 countries each year. Below are resources we have compiled to help make your travel and meeting experience as convenient as possible.

Apply for Your Visa Early!

Advance travel planning and early visa application are important, since visa applications are now subject to a greater degree of scrutiny than in the past. Applying for a visa can be a lengthy process. We recommend that you start early and do not wait for your abstract acceptance. You should begin the application process four (4) to five (5) months before the PAG XX, which is scheduled for January 14-18, 2012.  We cannot stress enough, how important it is to start this process early.

Requirements vary by passport-issuing country and citizenship (not just residency). Please remember that the visa decision is made by the U.S. Embassy (consular/visa section) in the country in which the person wishing to travel to the PAG meeting, is traveling FROM. (i.e., is currently working). For example, a citizen of Freedonia working in a lab in the United Kingdom needs to go to the U.S. Embassy in London. For the most current requirements and those specific to your situation, please check with your local U.S. consulate or embassy or the U.S. Department of State Visa Services Information. Please see the links at right for more information.

If you are initially rejected request a copy of the reason for the rejection in writing, and obtain the name and title of the person in charge of the visa process at that embassy.  Please send this information with a request for further assistance to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and we may be able help you.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

The Visa Waiver Program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Travelers admitted under the Visa Waiver Program must agree to waive their rights to review or appeal, as explained in the Waiver of Rights section of the Application screen. See Who is eligible to apply for admission under the Visa Waiver Program? for further information.

All nationals or citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries who plan to travel to the United States for temporary business or pleasure will require, as of January 12, 2009, an approved ESTA prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States under the VWP.

An approved ESTA travel authorization is:

• valid for up to two years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first;
• valid for multiple entries into the U.S.; and
• not a guarantee of admissibility to the United States at a port of entry. ESTA approval only authorizes a traveler to board a carrier for travel to the U.S. under the VWP. In all cases, CBP officers make admissibility determinations at our ports of entry.

We also recommend the following links:

Electronic System for Travel Authorization Web Site is available in 22 languages.
Fact Sheet: Electronic System for Travel Authorization

Letter of Invitation

The Organizing Committee is offering assistance should you need a Letter of Invitation to facilitate the visa application process. Please note that you are required to pre-register for the PAG meeting before we can send your letter.  

We have a new policy regarding Letters of Invitation, and starting with PAG 2011, letters of invitation will be sent via EMAIL ONLY. A hard copy of the letter will not be mailed to you. According to the U.S. State Department, an electronic letter should be acceptable for visa purposes. In the rare case where the U.S. Embassy to which you are submitting your visa insists on having a hard copy letter, we can mail a hard copy of the letter.

In your emailed request for a Letter of Invitation, you MUST include the following information.

1. 1. How to address you in the letter? Dr., Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
   2. Your complete mailing address at your institution (not your home address).
   3. The previous year(s) of PAG attendance (if you have been to the meeting in the past). This information is often very helpful to show that you will leave the US following the meeting.
   4. The title of your poster or presentation. This can be a tentative title. Please remember that all oral presentations are by invitation only. And if it is a workshop presentation, please provide the name of the workshop.
   5. Your telephone and fax numbers.

Please send your request for a Letter of Invitation at least four (4) months prior to the meeting—six (6) months is preferred—to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Interviews

Some, but not all visa applicants must have an interview. For people from some countries, such as Mexico, one must schedule an interview with their local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

It is advised that you provide the following information at your interview:

• Your entire trip itinerary, including travel to any countries other than the United States. (If completion of travel plans is contingent upon early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of the application.)
• Proof of scientific status
• Meeting brochure and letter of invitation
• Evidence that you are intending to return to your country of residence
  This includes items such as:
  1. Family ties in current country of residence
  2. Property ownership
  3. A bank account
  4. An employment contract or statement from employer showing that position will continue after the dates of the meeting

Some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews so applicants should first contact the consulate to find out how long the wait is for an interview. More information is available at: Visa Wait Times - for Interview Appointments and Processing.