Visa Information

Interview requirements for obtaining a visa may now be more stringent than in years past, and visas may take longer to approve. All international attendees who will need to obtain a visa to enter the United States are urged to contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate and begin the application process as soon as possible but no later than three to four months before the meeting. Because of the number of visas being processed and the need to be thorough with the reviews, the process can take as long as 8 weeks, especially for those residing in countries that are on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism List. Attendees from these countries should start the application process at least 6 months in advance of the meeting. 

For official information on the visa application process, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en.html

Visa wait times for specific countries may be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html

A listing of US Embassies and Consulates worldwide may be found at https://www.usembassy.gov/

For a step by step guide to the visa application process, click here.

VISA Waiver Information

International attendees who are nationals of countries listed in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) may be able to travel to the United States for 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. 

To find out if you are eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, please visit:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

Please note: All VWP travelers from the 27 eligible countries, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present individual machine-readable passports to enter the United States.

VISA Problems

If the status of your visa applications is pending for more than 60 days, please report your case to The National Academy of Sciences (NAS). You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire. To help the NAS identify you as a participant of this meeting, please include the name of the conference in the "Purpose of Visit" field on the questionnaire. 

Invitation Letter Requests

To assist international attendees in obtaining a visa, the Biophysical Society will issue letters of invitation. To obtain a letter of invitation you must first register for the meeting and pay any registration fees in full. No letters will be issued without a paid conference registration. Please send requests, including registration receipt, to [email protected]. A letter of invitation will be emailed to you on Biophysical Society letterhead.

Currency Converter

International attendees who need to exchange foreign currency for U.S. dollars may do so at most banks, including this location:

Other Useful Links

Universal Currency Converter     

The World Clock - Time Zones