Information for Applicants with a Technical or Scientific Background

Applicants with a Technical or Scientific Background

Visa applications for persons who work or study in certain scientific and technical fields may be subject to additional processing. The process, on average, takes approximately three to four weeks to complete. Applicants with scientific or technical backgrounds may be affected by these clearance procedures.

Applicants who present detailed information at the time of interview help us process their cases more expeditiously and efficiently. Information that the officer will need in order to process the case will vary from applicant to applicant, but generally we suggest that applicants be prepared to present the following detailed information, in writing, to the officer at the time of interview:

• Work Experience: Include a detailed resume/CV with description of the applicant’s current and past work, research and/or study program interests.
• Educational Background: Include the name of the institution with dates of attendance. You should note the field(s) of study, degree obtained and research topics.
• Specialized Skills: Include information about any languages, computer training, military service, work in defense industry or other specialized training.
• Letters of Invitation: Include letter of invitation stating the purpose of the visit and the address, website, and contact information of the company, conference and/or institution that the applicant intends to visit/attend while in the United States.
• Publication List: Include the title, topic, date of publication and a brief abstract or summary of the publication/project.
• Travel: Include international travel history for the past 10 years (countries and years visited); planned itinerary for current trip.

Note:  There is no official form that you need to complete for submitting administrative processing documents.