Helping with visa requests.

Since the events of September 11, 2001, international meeting participants have experienced increased difficulty gettng U.S. visas. Consequently, many U.S. associations conducting international meetings have been inundated with requests for letters of invitation, which meeting participants use to help acquire visas.

New era

For the time being, travelers have been given a break from ever-tightening regulations, In September 2003, the U.S. Department of State announced the postponement, until October 26, 2004, of the machine-readable passport requirement for visitors to the United States from the 27 countries that are a part of the Visa Waiver Program. Nevertheless, the process certainly hasn't gotten any easier. In August 2003, the State Department began requiring face-to-face interviews for most visa applicants from Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Charles Prescott, vice president of international business development and government affairs at the Direct Marketing Association, New York City, notes that the time needed to receive a visa varies greatly from country to country, "Each consulate is going to be different," he says, suggesting that travelers check with consulates to get an idea of the time required. Generally, though, Prescott advises that applicants start the process at least six weeks in advance.

Efficient customer service

"If you want to make undying friends, just go the extra mile for a member who's having trouble with his consul," says Catherine R. Lincoln, CAE, marketing and international director at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia. For what she terms AAO-HNS's "three-star treatment," Lincoln sends a letter to the applicant stating that he or she is registered for the meeting and then mails a copy both to the State Department country desk officer and to the consulate. She also regularly notifies desk officers that AAO-HNS is holding a meeting on a certain date.

Of course, going the extra mile requires staff time and resources. A few years ago, the Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Delaware, found itself swamped with requests for invitation letters. PMA responded by first cutting down on the number of requests by eliminating illegitimate requests from people simply trying to get into the country. PMA now requires that individuals be members of the produce industry as well as be registered and fully paid for the meeting. "That cuts down substantially [on] the number of requests we receive," says Nancy Tucker, CAE, vice president of global development.

To streamline processing, PMA now has a form on its Web site to request invitation letters, along with helpful instructions for acquiring visas (see www.pma.com/events/freshsummit /outsideus.cfm). For a $25 fee, PMA sends a letter of invitation to the applicant and a copy to the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate. The process has worked so well that it has been moved from the organization's international department to the staff who handle conference registrations.

Win-win

As the State Department continues to tweak visa regulations, organizations holding international meetings may need to expend more time and resources assisting international participants. With request letters, associations have the opportunity not only to improve efficiencies but also to please members.