Users' Office

  Visa Office

  Users / Visitors

  New Employees

  Current Employees

  J-1 Visa Status

  H-1B Visa Status

  Permanent Residence   
  (Greencards)

  General Guidance / FAQs

  Glossary of Immigration
  Terms

  Assignment Services

  Travel

  Site Map

WDRS > International Services > Visa Office > Users and Visitors

Entering the U.S. without a Visa
Entering the U.S. with a B (Business) Visa (as a visitor)
Early Notice Questionnaire

Users and Visitors

The Visa Office can assist foreign professionals who will visit or work at Fermilab while retaining their ties with a home institution abroad.

Brief visits to Fermilab (for fewer than 6 months) usually can be done as a Business Visitor or under the Visa Waiver Program.  You must request an Invitation Letter from your Experiment Spokesperson or Division Head.  If you must apply for a B-1 visa, please see the User’s Office discussion on Entering the U.S. with a B (Business Visitor) Visa.

If you plan to visit the U.S. for an extended time, but will spend only a relatively brief time at Fermilab, the Business Visitor visa or Visa Waiver Program probably is most appropriate.

Visits to Fermilab of 6 months or longer might be considered by the Consulate or CBP as constituting work.  To be admitted to the U.S., you might therefore need a work-authorizing visa, such as a J-1 visa.  You must request a Visiting Scientist Offer Letter from your Experiment Spokesperson or Division Head.  When you accept the offer, cc the Visa Office to your acceptance, and we then will contact you with requests for information and instructions.  Please ensure that the Visa Office has at least 2 weeks to process your paperwork, and be prepared to accommodate potentially lengthy visa processing.

Will you be coming to Fermilab soon, and are worried about whether there is sufficient time for your visa processing, but unsure of the visa assistance you will need?  If so, please complete our Early Notice Questionnaire.  This will let the Visa Office know about your situation and with whom in Fermilab you have been communicating, so that we can follow up about your paperwork, if necessary.
Please see our Visa Processing and Security Clearances information for details about the length of time the visa application likely will take.

Please note that this website still is under construction.  More immigration information and other visa statuses will be available soon.

Questions? Comments? Contact the Visa 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?