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Visa Information

Important: If you are participating in an experiment or expect to be reimbursed by ORNL you MUST enter the U.S. under a BUSINESS-TYPE VISA.  Tourists cannot conduct business or receive money at ORNL.

***Providing this official letter to the border and customs agent will assist in acquiring the correct entry if coming to Oak Ridge National Lab for business.

Individuals arriving in the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program must verify before leaving the port of entry that they have received the visa waiver-business (VW-B) stamp or entry in the I-94 and not the visa waiver-tourist (VW-T) stamp/entry in the I-94 system.

Individuals arriving in the U.S. under the Visitor Visa must verify before leaving the port of entry that they have received the visa category B-1 business stamp or entry in the I-94 and not the visa category B-2 pleasure stamp/entry in the I-94 system.

The U. S. Department of State provides information on traveling to the United States (State Dept - http://travel.state.gov/). In some cases, in may take several months to receive a Visa.  Please refer to the following site for additional information and expected wait times. (Visa Wait Times).

The Visa Waiver Program and Visitor Visa requires a visitor to have a machine-readable passport, otherwise, you cannot travel under VWP/B1 and you must obtain a visa in your valid (non-readable) passport for entry into the United States. The following link provides a list of the countries currently eligible for the Visa Waiver Program Countries 

  • ESTA Requirement: ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Authorization via ESTA does not determine whether a traveler is admissible to the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers determine admissibility upon travelers’ arrival. The ESTA application collects biographic information and answers to VWP eligibility questions. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, though it is recommended that travelers apply as soon as they begin preparing travel plans or prior to purchasing airline tickets.
  • Visitor Visa Requirements: Visitor Visa (B1/B2) a citizen of a foreign country who wishes to enter the United States must first obtain a visa, either a nonimmigrant visa for a temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. Visitor visas are nonimmigrant visas for persons who want to enter the United States temporarily for business (visa category B-1) or for tourism (visa category B-2).