International Participation
Important: The U.S. State Department is experiencing long delays in providing visa interviews. Visit their website to view the wait times for any specific city. The State Department has indicated that travel for the purpose of participating in an annual conference does not qualify for expedited appointments.
We regret that neither TRB nor the National Academies have the ability to assist attendees in getting an earlier appointment. |
If you plan to attend the TRB Annual Meeting and will be coming from outside of the United States, we urge you to begin the visa application process now. U.S. regulations require security checks for most visitor visa applications, resulting in a review process that may take longer than expected. Official information on U.S. visa policies and procedures is available from the U.S. Department of State. General information on the U.S. visa application process is available through the National Academies’ International Visitors Office.
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions:
- Before planning to travel to the United States, be sure to review the page on COVID-related travel restrictions, from the U.S. Department of State.
- TRB asks that you attend the meeting only if you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. View our COVID Health and Safety page for more information.
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries generally do not need a U.S. visa for business or tourism visits of less than 90 days, unless they are receiving compensation for services or activities (such as lectures, presentations, etc.). However, they must obtain an approved travel authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to boarding an airline or vessel bound for the United States.
If you need a Letter of Invitation, you can create one by clicking here, providing your contact information, then clicking the “submit” button. The letter then will be displayed and may be printed. Please create your Letter of Invitation well in advance of your travel, since some countries require their citizens to first present an official invitation from TRB before they can obtain a passport.
All attendees must register for the meeting and must be responsible for their own travel expenses, including airfare, ground transportation, hotel, and meals.
If you have questions not answered by the links above, please email TRBMeetings@NAS.edu.
