Visa Information

DISCLAIMER: The information and suggestions provided below by the AAMAS local organizing committee should be treated as guidelines and not as official information on U.S. immigration policies. 

If you plan to attend AAMAS25, you are strongly advised to exercise due diligence to determine as early as possible whether you need a visa to travel to the USA. If you do need a visa, it will typically be in the visitor visa (B) category (B1/B2, more specifically). If you are a citizen of a country that participates in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, you should obtain an online travel authorization through the ESTA system before your trip to the USA.

You can find useful resources, especially for information on the Visa Waiver Program, visa categories, embassies and consulates, and typical waiting times, on this page. You are responsible for applying for your visa/travel authorization and obtaining it in time for your visit. The visa application process may vary depending on location and can be lengthy and uncertain, so we earnestly encourage you to start well in advance. 

The AAMAS organizing committee cannot directly participate in the visa application process or provide financial assistance for this purpose. We can produce upon request an invitation letter for you to include in your visa application package. To help you expedite the process, we are offering two options for the invitation letter: (1) pre-registration, and (2) regular.

[Hyperlink] Pre-registration invitation letter request form

To be considered for a pre-registration invitation letter, please fill out the above request form. However, keep in mind that submitting this form does not guarantee that you will receive an invitation letter.  We will vet your request and may reach out for additional details at the email address you provide in the form. Processing may take a non-negligible amount of time, after which we will email the invitation letter to you if you are deemed eligible. A contribution under submission at AAMAS25 in any track for which a call has been issued, although not necessary, will improve your chances of receiving a pre-registration invitation letter; however, this submission information will not be reflected in the letter, which will only confirm an invitation extended to you as a member of the AAMAS community. Also note that, even if you receive a letter of this type, you will still need to register for AAMAS25 on the official registration portal after it opens in order to attend the conference.

If you would rather wait for the regular invitation letter before applying for a visa, it will be available upon request after you register for AAMAS25. If you have an accepted contribution in any track or are slated to engage in some official activity at the conference (e.g., student volunteer duties), information in that vein will be reflected in this letter in addition to a confirmation of your registration. Please keep an eye out for notifications of the opening of the registration portal and additional instructions on how to obtain a regular invitation letter. 

Please understand that the AAMAS organizing committee does not take any responsibility for the outcome of a visa application accompanied by an invitation letter of either type, and this discretion lies solely with U.S. immigration authorities; of course, if and when contacted by authorities, we will be happy to attest to the validity of an invitation we issued.

In case of further questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].