Chairman: Donald Miller Northrop Grumman Program Chair: Fred Wellstood University of Maryland Conference Organization: Centennial Conferences

Visa Information Conference participants should familiarize themselves with visa requirements well in advance of the conference. The September 11, 2001, events have resulted in generally more stringent visa requirements and associated visa processing time. ISEC 2007 CANNOT INTERVENE with U.S. Embassies abroad or the State Department in Washington, DC, on behalf of any participant. However, if you need a personal letter of invitation to attend the Conference, contact Donald L. Miller at donald.l.miller@ngc.com and provide the following information: Full Name Complete Mailing Address (including phone and fax numbers) Passport Number / Country Issued Date of Birth Your letter will be emailed (pdf format) and MAILED TO YOU, so request it well in advance of when you expect to need it. Please do not request the letter prior to the start of abstract submission. Recently, the U.S. has updated its visa policies to increase security for our citizens and visitors. It will likely take you longer to get a visa than it used to, and you will find that a few new security measures have been put into place. For details that may apply specifically to your country, see information posted by your nearest consulate or embassy. Step-by-Step Process to Obtain a U.S. Visa (pdf) IMPORTANT WEBSITES http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/ http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/index.html http://travel.state.gov/ U.S. Visa Policies Citizens of "Visa Waiver" Countries US-VISIT: These notes presume that non-U.S. citizens/residents traveling to the U.S. for attendance at the ISEC 2007 do so for this reason only. The guidance offered may not be appropriate for plans, which include visits to other institutions, vacations or other objectives. INTERVIEW PREPARATION " Applicants should be able to answer specific and detailed questions related to their purpose of travel, business dealings with the inviter, and their general business relations (as appropriate, depending on their job responsibilities). " Applicants should be able to provide complete travel itineraries and (if appropriate) training schedules. " Applicants who claim to have existing relationships with their inviters, or other U.S. entities, should provide clear proof of these relationships, for instance through purchase orders, correspondence, etc. " Applicants should be able to explain how the applicant's visit will be funded. " NOTE: Proof of purchase of an airline ticket is not an item requested by the embassy to document your itinerary for your trip. No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore, final travel plans or the purchase of non-refundable ticket should not be made until a visa has been issued and you are in receipt of the passport. PROBLEMS? Any problems encountered in visa applications or in the admission process should be reported to the International Visitors Office by completing the questionnaire on their website at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/visas/Visa_Questionnaire.html. To help the Int'l Visitors Office to identify you as a participant, please be sure to include the name of our meeting (International Superconductive Electronics Conference - ISEC 2007) in the "Purpose of Visit" field on the questionnaire. The International Visitors Office can inquire at the Department of State about the status of visa applications that have been pending for more than 20 days. Please also report problems experienced with your visa applications or in the admission process to the ISEC 2007 Conference Organizers at isec07@centennialconferences.com.