For International Attendees

Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality sufficiently in advance of their travel date.

The U.S. Department of State travel.state.gov website contains current information on applying for a B visitor visa. That website notes that a B-1 visitor for business visa is appropriate to "Attend a scientific, educational, professional, or business convention or conference."

There are several steps to apply for a visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary by U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Please also consult the instructions on the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website of the consular office where you will apply for your visa. Find U.S. embassy website links at https://www.usembassy.gov/.

The Department of State maintains a Global Visa Wait Times page that shows average visa appointment wait times by country. Those wait times are for the availability of a visa interview appointment, not for how long it might take for a visa to be issued following the interview.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Travelers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel and meet all other VWP requirements. Citizens of VWP countries who prefer to have a visa in their passport may still apply for a visitor (B) visa instead. For further information, consult these U.S. Government web pages:

• The Department of State Visa Waiver Program page
• The Department of Homeland Security Visa Waiver Program page
• The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) page
   

Form DS-160, the standard online application used by individuals to apply for a nonimmigrant visa, requires applicants to indicate the social media platforms that they have used during the five years preceding their visa application, and to provide any identifiers or handles they used on those platforms.

For visa-free entry under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), the ESTA authorization application for VWP travelers includes an optional question that reads "Please enter information associated with your online presence-Provider/Platform-Social media identifier." U.S. Customs and Border Protection submitted a proposal in December, 2025 to make providing social media presence information mandatory for ESTA applicants.

A number of country-specific policies (including travel bans and visa bond payment requirements) continue to impact visa benefits for nationals of the listed countries. NAFSA has prepared a Quick Reference Country Restriction Table that you can use to see if your country might be affected. See https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/quick-reference-country-restriction-table.

NAFSA provides the information on this page as a courtesy to individuals planning on attending the NAFSA conference. Unfortunately NAFSA is not able to provide individual consultations or offer assistance with visa applications or processing.

The content on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or legal recommendations. The application and impact of laws and government policies and interpretations can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. While every attempt has been made to ensure that the information contained in this resource has been obtained from reliable sources, NAFSA and the publishers disclaim any and all liability resulting from reliance upon this information, or from any errors contained herein. This publication does not substitute for the direct reading of applicable laws and government guidance, nor does it constitute legal advice, which can only be obtained from licensed attorneys.