Start Applying for Your Visa NOW!
A note to our delegates: It is the responsibility of the individual participant to obtain any visa or transit papers needed to participate in the 2022 World Forum. All fees incurred in obtaining a visa are the responsibility of the participant.
*Be sure to check into visa requirements for countries you may travel through on your way to the United States.
Step 1: Check if you need a visa.
Step 2: Choose the type of US visa to apply for.
Step 3: Fill in the non-immigrant visa application form DS-160.
Step 4: Pay your application fee.
Step 5: Schedule your visa interview.
Step 6: Compile the document file.
Step 7: Attend your visa interview.
Step 8: Wait for processing.
Bookmark this COVID-19 Global Travel Restrictions and Rules Map
A new COVID Travel Map takes the confusion and stress out of planning international travel during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With the easy-to-use interactive tool, users can enter their travel details on the map – passport-issuing country, departure and arrival countries, and your vaccination status – to get instant, detailed info on travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, testing rules, and documentation required for travel. Learn more HERE.
Important Travel Note
If you plan to travel internationally, you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States. You must show your negative result to the airline before you board your flight.
If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
Do I need a visa?
Citizens of Canada and Bermuda can travel for 90 days or less to the US without having to possess a non-immigrant visa or any other pre-entry authorization, such as ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).
The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of 40 countries to travel to the United States for business or tourism purposes without a visa for up to 90 days. IF you meet the Visa Waiver Program criteria, you do not need to apply for a non-immigrant visa to visit the United States. In order to qualify for the US Visa Waiver Program, you must fulfill the following criteria:
• Be a citizen of the 40 allowed countries.
• Have a visa waiver ESTA approval.
• Have an e-passport.
• Prove that you will return to your home country after your VWP stamp expires.
Learn more about the US Visa Waiver Program HERE.
| Andorra (1991) | Australia (1996) | Austria (1991) |
| Belgium (1991) | Brunei (1993) | Chile (2014) |
| Czechia (2008) | Denmark (1991) | Estonia (2008) |
| Finland (1991) | France (1989) | Germany (1989) |
| Greece (2010) | Hungary (2008) | Iceland (1991) |
| Ireland (1995) | Italy (1989) | Japan (1988) |
| South Korea (2008) | Latvia (2008) | Liechtenstein (1991) |
| Lithuania (2008) | Luxembourg (1991) | Malta (2008) |
| Monaco (1991) | Netherlands (1989) | New Zealand (1991) |
| Norway (1991) | Poland (2019) | Portugal (1999) |
| San Marino (1991) | Singapore (1999) | Slovakia (2008) |
| Slovenia (1997) | Spain (1991) | Sweden (1989) |
| Switzerland (1989) | Taiwan (2012) | United Kingdom (1988) |
| Croatia (2021) |
Citizens of the following countries need to apply for a visa to be able to enter the United States:
| Afghanistan | Albania | Algeria |
| Angola | Antigua and Barbuda | Argentina |
| Armenia | Aruba | Azerbaijan |
| Bahamas | Bahrain | Bangladesh |
| Barbados | Belarus | Belize |
| Benin | Bhutan | Bolivia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Botswana | Brazil |
| Bulgaria | Burkina Faso | Burundi |
| Costa Rica | Cameroon | Cape Verde |
| Cambodia | Chad | China |
| Central African Republic | Comoros | Congo Democratic Republic |
| Colombia | Cyprus | Djibouti |
| Cuba | Dominican Republic | East Timor |
| Dominica | Egypt | El Salvador |
| Ecuador | Eritrea | Ethiopia |
| Equatorial Guinea | Fiji | Gabon |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Georgia | Ghana |
| Gambia | Guatemala | Guinea |
| Grenada | Guyana | Haiti |
| Guinea Bissau | India | Indonesia |
| Honduras | Iraq | Israel |
| Iran | Ivory Coast | Kazakhstan |
| Jamaica | Jordan | Kuwait |
| Kenya | Kiribati | Lebanon |
| Kyrgyzstan | Laos | Libya |
| Lesotho | Liberia | Malawi |
| Macedonia | Madagascar | Mali |
| Malaysia | Maldives | Mexico |
| Mauritania | Mauritius | Montenegro |
| Moldova | Mongolia | Myanmar |
| Morocco | Mozambique | Nepal |
| Namibia | Nauru | Nigeria |
| Nicaragua | Niger | Palau |
| Oman | Pakistan | Paraguay |
| Panama | Papua New Guinea | Poland |
| Peru | Philippines | Republic of Korea |
| Qatar | Republic of Congo | Russia |
| Republic of Kosovo | Romania | Saint Lucia |
| Rwanda | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Sao Tome and Principe |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | Serbia |
| Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Solomon Islands |
| Seychelles | Sierra Leone | South Sudan |
| Somalia | South Africa | Suriname |
| Sri Lanka | Sudan | Tajikistan |
| Swaziland | Syria | Togo |
| Tanzania | Thailand | Tunisia |
| Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu |
| Turkey | Turkmenistan | United Arab Emirates |
| Uganda | Ukraine | Vanuatu |
| Uruguay | Uzbekistan | Vietnam |
| Vatican City | Venezuela | Zimbabwe |
| Yemen | Zambia |
If I do need a visa, what type of US visa do I apply for?
Most World Forum attendees will need to apply for a B1 Visa for Business Visitors. The B1 Visa allows you to attend conferences, educational, professional, or business events.
Where do I fill out the non-immigrant visa application form DS-160?
You can fill out the non-immigrant visa application form DS-160 HERE.
How do I pay my application fee?
Prior to submitting your application, you will be prompted to pay all the necessary non-refundable fees and retain the receipts for proof. Most World Forum attendees will pay the Non-petition Based Visas fee of $160 USD.
How/where do I schedule my visa interview?
All US non-immigrant visa applicants between 14 and 79 years old are required to go through a US visa interview. To have this mandatory interview, you must schedule an appointment with the US consulate or embassy from which you are applying. When you schedule your appointment, please have the following documents in-hand to give the necessary information:
• Your valid passport and your passport number.
• Your visa application fee payment receipt number.
• Your DS-160 confirmation page.
• Your e-mail address.
Since they might have a high workload and the wait time can range from days to weeks, you must make sure to schedule your interview as early as possible.
The moment that you submit your Form DS-160, you should make an appointment for your interview. You will then get an interview confirmation letter which you must bring on the day of the interview.
You can schedule the appointment online through:
• ustraveldocs.com if you’re applying from Asia, or
• ais.usvisa-info.com if you are applying from anywhere else in the world.
*TravelAssist is available as well if you need assistance with your application process.
What documents do I need to bring with me for my visa interview?
In addition to your application form or Form DS-160, you must also submit documents required for your US visa application which prove to the US consulate that you meet the requirement for the nonimmigrant visa you are applying. One of the documents includes an invitation letter. This is a letter written by a United States citizen or legal resident, confirming that they are willing to admit an international with whom they have family ties or friendship, and also that they have enough room for the visitor for the entire period of their stay in the US. Please reach out to [email protected] to request your invitation letter.
Attending your visa interview.
The final step in the US visa application process is the US visa interview. You must arrive on time at the interview with all your supporting documents. The official who will interview you will ask questions about your background and other relevant details based on the visa you have applied for.
Processing times.
After the visa interview, you must wait for your application to be processed. Processing times depend on the type of US visa you applied for, but they can range from a few days to a few months. When your visa is processed, you will find out whether you were approved or denied.