INTERNATIONAL VISITORS​/Visa applications/ Invitation Letters
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Updates- COVID-19 Travel Information

The ICAR 2020 organizing committee met yesterday (March 4) to discuss SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak and COVID-19 with respect to ICAR 2020 planning. According to University, local, state, and federal officials, this remains an evolving situation.


We are monitoring and consulting other science conferences and have learned that some scheduled in the near term (March, April) have been canceled or postponed, while some are continuing as scheduled.


At this time, we do not have knowledge of cancellations or postponements of summer science meetings. We are proactively discussing options and developing a plan on going forward for ICAR 2020.


At this time we intend to hold ICAR 2020 at the University of Washington-Seattle, as planned.


Our committee recommendations and actions for ICAR 2020 attendees and prospective attendees:

1. We recommend that you *do not make travel plans* at this time (booking flights, lodging, etc.).
2. We recommend that if you haven’t registered yet, to hold off for the moment (this avoids credit card fees.) To enable this without penalizing later registrants, we will **extend the early/lower fee registration deadline to APRIL 30** (currently it is March 31).  We will provide updates in advance of that deadline (monitor the ICAR 2020 homepage for updates: http://icar2020.arabidopsisresearch.org)
3. We are extending the abstract submission deadline for ‘oral consideration’ to April 30. You may go ahead and submit an abstract if you like, since there is no cost associated with this. However, the selection process will be delayed until early May at the earliest.
4. We are putting our travel application competition/review on hold. We expect to decide in the coming weeks how to proceed; currently we expect to postpone the review process up to early-mid April.

    
We provide these recommendations so that our community is prepared, and we hope/expect to be better placed to make additional decisions in the coming weeks


Moving forward:

• Daily we are assessing the situation and seeking guidance from University and health authorities.
• We are developing a plan to go forward and are considering all options at our disposal, including through consulting our international colleagues.

Further Information Links

1. ICAR 2020 homepage with updates on meeting specific information: http://icar2020.arabidopsisresearch.org
2. University of Washington, Seattle: COVID-19 monitoring: https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/
3. State of Washington Public Health COVID-19 monitoring: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
4. US Centers for Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
5. CDC Travel risk and restrictions (listed and search by country/location/city):  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

Apply Early for Your Visa

Advance travel planning and early application are important, since visa applications are now subject to greater degree of scrutiny that in the past. Applying for a visa can be lengthy process. We recommend that you begin the application process 4 to 6 months before your scheduled departure date. It is very important to start this process early!

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.

​Letter of Invitation 

ICAR 2020 offers assistance should you need a letter of invitation to facilitate the visa application, process, or obtain authorization for your attendance to the conference. Please request a letter of invitation as soon as possible. We recommend that this is done 4 to 5 months in advance. 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 a hard copy letter, we can mail you a copy of the letter. Due to the fact that an application for a visa can be a lengthy process, ICAR 2020 recommends that you start your visa application process early: 120 to 180 days/ 4-6 months prior to the conference. If you require additional assistance obtaining a visa, please email UW conference staff at: confuw@uw.edu

How to Request a Letter of Invitation
When you register for the conference from outside of the United States, and your country DOES NOT participate in the Visa Waiver Program, ICAR 2020 will provide a letter of invitation upon request. 

Please allow up to 7 business days to generate your request and prepare a letter.

The following information must be provided to process your request (Passport Number, Country of Issue, Reason for requesting the letter, Organization, and Organization Address).  If there are any issues generating your request, you will be contacted via email.

Please contact University Conference Staff (confuw@uw.edu) with subject line:
Invitation Letter Needed, and for any questions about the letter of invitation procedure.
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Due to the fact that an application for a visa can be a lengthy process, ICAR 2020 recommends that you start your visa application process early: 90 to 120 days prior to the conference.

Local University Information on Visas

Interviews

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

It is advised that you provide the following information at your interview:
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• 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.
• Letter of Invitation.
• Evidence that you are intending to return to your country of residence.This includes items such as:
  • Family ties in current country of residence.
  • Property ownership.
  • A bank account.
  • 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 https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html 
 Visa Wait Times – for Interview Appointments and Processing.
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