The TRB 86th Annual Meeting, January 21-25, 2007, in Washington, DC, will offer a plethora of transportation research information and activities from around the world. More than 1200 delegates from at least 75 countries outside the United States are expected to attend and participate.

International delegates are invited to the International Participants Reception, Sunday, January 21, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, in the Hilton Washington Hotel. The reception is sponsored by the TRB International Activities Committee.

Secure Your Visa
If you will require a visa to enter the United States to attend the TRB 86th Annual Meeting, January 21-25, 2007, in Washington, DC, begin planning for the application process now! Even if you didn't need a visa for a previous Annual Meeting, you are encouraged to double-check the current requirements. U.S. regulations now require security checks for most visitor visas, resulting in a process that may take three months or more. Citizens of certain countries must have an invitation in hand before they can obtain a passport from their government, and then apply for a U.S. entry visa.

To request an Annual Meeting invitation letter, contact Rosa Allen at RAllen@NAS.edu. When requesting your letter of invitation, please provide your complete mailing address, including postal or zip code. Since many U.S. Embassies require visa applicants to provide an original letter of invitation (not a fax or photocopy), please contact TRB with your request as soon as possible to ensure that your letter arrives in your home country well in advance. In addition, authors of papers accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting should expect to receive an e-mail notification from TRB by November 1, 2006.

General information on the U.S. visa application process is available through the National Academies’ International Visitors Office. Please note that citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries generally do not need a U.S. visa for business or tourism visits of less than 90 days unless they are receiving any compensation for services or activities (such as lectures, presentations, etc.). Official information on U.S. visa policies and procedures is available from the U.S. Department of State.

In short, the TRB 86th Annual Meeting will truly be an international gathering. We look forward to seeing you there.