If you are a
foreign national staying at the IMA for 90 days or fewer, you
may qualify for a Visa Waiver(WB) or travel with a B-1 business
visa.
WB – You are eligible for the
Visa Waiver program if you are a citizen
of one of the following countries: Andorra, Australia, Austria,
Belgium
Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway
Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. More
information can
be found at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa.html.
Under the WB program, you must fill out an Electronic System
for Travel
Authorization (ESTA) application at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/.
You do
not need to visit a US consulate or embassy before your trip.
More
information about ESTA is available at
http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/. All visitors
traveling
under the Visa Waiver Program (WB), MUST present machine
-readable
passports. Our staff will provide additional documents to
assist you at
the U.S. border.
B-1 – If you are not a citizen of
one of the countries listed above, you will need to make an
appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain a visa.
Each country's wait time for obtaining a visa
is different and we recommend you start the process at least
two months
in advance of your trip. For a list of countries and their
expected wait-times in obtaining a visa, visit this website: http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php. Please
contact the IMA at to request supporting
documents. More information can be found at
http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1262.html.
Canadian citizens – Canadian
citizens may request entry into the U.S. as a visitor for
business without going to an embassy or consulate office.
A Canadian citizen presents at the U.S. border:
Letter of invitation from the University of Minnesota
department (Please contact our IMA staff at
for this
letter)
Passport
More than 90 Days
J1 Visa – If you come for more
than 90 days, you may need a J1 visa. Please contact the IMA
staff at
If you have entered the US in the J Professor or Research
Scholar category within 24 months of your upcoming visit, you
will not be able to reenter in this category. Please see our
University International website at:
http://www.isss.umn.edu/jscholar/pvisa.html. You will find
passport & entry visa information, Health Care & Insurance
requirements for J1 visa holders, Travel & Re-Entry with J-1
visa, J1 Scholar application form and the J1 Scholar handbook.
if you think you may need a J1 visa.
J1 visa holders must check in within a day or two upon arrival
at the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) offices
located at 190 Humphrey Institute. They are the department that
issued your J1 visa and they need to check your paperwork and
record your arrival. Our IMA staff will assist you with
directions. The records of J-1s that are not validated in the
ISSS system within 30 days of the "program begin date" on their
DS-2019s will be automatically inactivated and are extremely
difficult to reactive.
It can take 5 weeks to process a DS-2019 for the J1 visa.
It can take 6-8 weeks to process a DS-2019 for Chinese
scholars.
Important: If you will be traveling away from the IMA and
expect to receive expenses from another Institution or Company,
you will need to obtain a letter from the IMA Director and it
will need to be approved by the ISSS office. A two-week notice
is recommended. Please see
http://www.isss.umn.edu/j/JTravelOUS.html.
If you come on a J1 visa you are also responsible for
purchasing your own health and emergency exit insurance. J1
visitors are required to have health insurance for themselves
and their family members who accompany them, within 25 days of
their arrival. The insurance requirements are outlined in the
welcome letter that is sent by the International Office along
with the J1 visa forms. It is recommended that visitors
purchase the Boynton Health Insurance located at the University
of Minnesota if they need health insurance. To purchase your
health insurance, please go to Room 323 Boynton Health Service
Building and bring your DS2019 with you. See
http://www.bhs.umn.edu/insurance/international.htm. This web
site provides the most current cost, coverage, and other
insurance details. Medical Evacuation & Repatriation Benefits
are included in this insurance coverage. These estimates change
each academic year.
