Applying for a Visa

Business Visitor Visa (B-1)

If you are not a U.S. citizen and you will be coming from another country, you might be required to obtain a Business Visitor Visa (B-1) for business-specific purposes. Business Visitor Visas cost $160. J-PAL does not cover this cost. Detailed information on the B-1 Business Visitor Visa can be found here.

While we can help you by providing a Letter of Support (if you fill out this visa form, one will be sent to you), it will be your responsibility to go through the steps required by the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of work. It is the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad that have the ultimate authority in accepting and processing visa applications and deciding to issue visas for foreign citizens to travel to the U.S.

Please be aware that applying for a U.S. visa can take time, so we recommend that you apply as early as possible. Every applicant is required to come in for an interview; often, there are not interview spots immediately available.

U.S. Embassies and Consulates Abroad

A full list of U.S. embassies and consulates abroad can be found here.

Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

There are 38 countries authorized to participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). If you have a valid passport from one of those countries, you are eligible to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa (as long as you have NOT traveled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, nor are a national of Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria). More information can be found here.