[An-lang] visa hassles

[Pila Wilson]

Thank you for this information.   This is, of course, very serious as it
impacts the whole idea of
a joint conference with the Polyensian Languages Forum as well.



wahi a <meyerho1 at msu.edu>:
>Further to recent discussion on this:
>
>even if you are proposing to enter the US from a "visa waiver" country,
>you MUST have
>a machine-readable passport.
>
>New Zealand, and I expect Australia, have had machine-readable passports
>for ages,
>but some of the other countries on the visa waiver list (esp. European)
>do not. If you try
>and come without a machine readable p'port, they will not even let you
>check-in. If you
>are at all in doubt, your should ring your own passport office/embassy
>and find out if
>(and when) they introduced machine readable p'ports.
>
>There is a rumour going round some circles that you need a p'port with
>your thumb
>print on it. This is not true.
>
>Also following up on John  Lynch's (perhaps more important/substantive)
>point re.
>access to COOL for Pacific (native speaker) linguists. I think John  is
>making a good
>point here. I wonder if, given these recent changes in US immigration
>policy, whether
>the USA is an appropriate place to hold the next COOL. Much as I would
>like an
>excuse to go back to Hilo, it doesn't seem like it really is serving the
>COOL
>constituency.
>
>chrz, miriam
>
>
>> wahi a "Piet Lincoln" <linc at hawaii.rr.com>:
>> >After scouting around various web sites  ---,   [
>> >http://travel.state.gov/getting_vistors_visa.html
>> >]http://travel.state.gov/getting_vistors_visa.html   one of the
>clearest
>> >and most informative (don't read too much into that) ---   it appears:
>> >
>> >1. there are 27 countries which have visa waiving agreements
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Andorra 	Iceland 	Norway
>> >Australia 	Ireland 	Portugal
>> >Austria 	Italy 	San Marino
>> >Belgium 	Japan 	Singapore
>> >Brunei 	Liechtenstein 	Slovenia
>> >Denmark 	Luxembourg 	Spain
>> >Finland 	Monaco 	Sweden
>> >France 	the Netherlands 	Switzerland
>> >Germany 	New Zealand 	United Kingdom
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >2.  citizens other countries must apply for visa.    Application Fee
>US
>> >$100
>> >
>> > 3. some visas  may require an additional "issuance fee"  This varies
>> >according to visa  and country.
>> >
>> >    as far as I could tell  simple visitor visas from likely COOL
>> >countries would require only the application fee.
>> >
>> >4.  I found out less about interviews.  They don't seem to be required
>> >for everyone.
>> >
>> >5.  There seemed to be one clearly stated concern:  the visa applicant
>> >would try not leave once in the US.
>> >    Thus evidence of job, family, and similar motivations for round
>trip
>> >in home country  was desired.
>> >
>> >6. one of the continuations of above URL  has:
>> >If you find that you need to submit an inquiry, to serve you better,
>> >please indicate the subject of your inquiry on the subject line (e.g.,
>> >student visa, visitor visa, worker visa, spouse visa, affidavit of
>> >support, etc.) General visa questions may be directed via e-mail to the
>> >State Department by [ mailto:usvisa at state.gov
>]mailto:usvisa at state.gov.
>> >
>> >
>> >that "click here"  generates an e-mail   to   [ mailto:usvisa at state.gov
>> >]mailto:usvisa at state.gov <[ mailto:usvisa at state.gov
>> >]mailto:usvisa at state.gov>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >I hope these notes are helpful and you all can overcome the hassles.
>> >
>> >
>> >Piet Lincoln
>> >Honolulu
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >
>> >from John Lynch
>> >
>> >Subject: [An-lang] COOL6 - potential problem
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Following the announcement of the dates and venue for the 6th
>> >International Conference on Oceanic Linguistics - Hilo, July 2004 - a
>> >possible problem has come to my attention. Recent media reports have
>> >indicated that the US Immigration Service is tightening up its visa
>> >processing regulations, and requires that each applicant from certain
>> >countries - I cannot establish which - attend a personal interview at
>the
>> >embassy, as well as paying a fee of US $100.
>> >
>> >In the case of participants who are citizens of Oceanic-speaking
>> >countries, this will require travel outside their home country simply
>to
>> >have a shot at getting a visa, with no guarantee of success. In my own
>> >case, for example, as a citizen of Vanuatu, I would first have to
>travel
>> >to Papua New Guinea, where the embassy responsible for Vanuatu is
>> >located, then return here, then travel to Hilo via Fiji, Australia or
>New
>> >Zealand.
>> >
>> >One of the intentions behind the Oceanic Conferences was to try to
>> >encourage native-speaker linguists from Pacific countries to attend.
>> >These regulations will make that extremely difficult, because of the
>> >additional expense involved. I am not sure to how many other countries
>> >these regulations apply, but perhaps someone on the list might be able
>to
>> >get better information. (My email messages to the US embassy in PNG
>keep
>> >bouncing and those to the US embassy in Fiji go unanswered).
>> >
>> >John Lynch
>> >
>> >[Marker]
>> >
>> >
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>>
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