Users' Office

Fermilab Computing Privileges

Fermilab Badges

Medical Insurance

Property Protection Areas

Fermilab Experiments and Institutions

Links and Information

Business Visits to Fermilab

URA Thesis Award

Visa Office

Assignment Services

Travel

Site Map

Business Visits to Fermilab
B-1 Visas
Visa Waiver Program and ESTA
Fermilab Procedure
Attending a Fermilab Workshop, Conference or “School”

Sample Home Institution Letter

We strongly recommend that when visitors apply for B-1 visas to visit Fermilab, you obtain a support letter from your home institution in addition to the invitation letter Femrilab will issue.

The following issues should be addressed in your Home Institution Letter:

1. It must explain who you are, your credentials, and your role in the experiment or the reason why you need to visit Fermilab.  It also must confirm the dates of your visit, and that you will return to your home institution after the visit ends.
2. It should list:
1. (if you are employed), your job title and department within the institution where you are employed, confirm the amount of your salary, and confirm that you will continue to be paid your salary by your home institution while you are visiting the U.S.
2. (if you still are a student), your program of studies, level of studies and expected graduation date, as well as any wages or funding you receive.
3. If the letter does not explain how you will finance the trip to the U.S. and support yourself while in the U.S., the Consulate will require other information about your means of support and funding.
3. It should be specific about the nature of your activities – research, meetings, analysis, discussions, conferences, etc.  The letter should not:
1. describe your activities in the U.S. as “work” because this can be misunderstood by immigration officers as being “employment” (which is prohibited to business visitors), or  
2. describe the event as “school” because this can be misunderstood by immigration officers, and they will require a “student” F-1 or J-1 visa.  (To immigration officers, only institutions that issue degrees or certificates are “schools.”) 
4. (if coming for a workshop, conference or school), confirm that the home institution wants you to attend the event because the information and discussions will be valuable to the continued work you will perform for the home institution upon returning home.

If your Home Institution Letter does not properly address these issues, the U.S. immigration Office might not admit you into the U.S., or might admit you in the wrong “category” (and this mistake would have to be corrected before we would be able to allow you access to Fermilab’s facilities).

Questions? Comments? Contact the Users’ Office!

Alerts

TurkeyDate Just Announced! Sign up to share Thanksgiving with a member of the Fermilab community.

Announcement of Opportunity for the fall 2009 awards of the University Research Association's (URA) Visiting Scholars Program at Fermilab

Visit the Employment Office’s online International Orientation, which offers many resources about adjusting to life in the U.S., including information about banking, taxes and more.  More Resources coming soon!

Lengthy Delays for Visa Applicants

Changes to the Visa Waiver Program for visitors to the U.S.

Consular Security Clearances affecting visa applications to visit Fermilab

What is an I-94 Card?