For those of you who are traveling to the Science Online ’09 conference from Europe, Australia, NZ, South Korea, Singapore, or on a passport from one of those parts of the world, this is of importance:
As of January 12 2009, travelers using the Visa Waiver Program to enter the US (that is when you don’t need to apply for a visa but you get one of those green forms to fill out at the border) will need to register online before their trip.
I had a look at the registration website, and you need a ticket before you register. It says it takes 72 hours to process, but since the week of the conference is the first week that the system is mandatory, I would play it safe and get it done earlier. The questions are the exact same ones as normally appear on the green form so it will only take a minute or so to fill out.
Again, this only concerns you if your passport is from one of these countries? (NB – Nature Network software cuts off the question mark from the link. That question mark you see, add that to the end of the URL to see the list. It’s part of the link, not part of the sentence.)
Now this is a wacky question:
I am seeking work in the US at the moment, but that’s not the purpose of the trip. And why equate that to having been deported or committed fraud?
I’m travelling on the 11th, and after a lot of digging around, I found out that one’s travel has to start on the 12th before you have to fill in the form.
Bob, don’t count on your friendly Customs and Border Control officer to be aware of this fine distinction, particularly if you arrive on the 12th. Don’t mean to be paranoid, just jaded from experience.
“after a lot of digging around, I found out that one’s travel has to start on the 12th before you have to fill in the form.”
It’s in the post, second paragraph – you didn’t have to dig!
Yeah, that is a weird question. I guess they mean to ask if you’re looking for work on that particular trip to offset travel costs (like backpackers sometimes do). I think the question will also be on the green form, but then at least you can still ask a customs person.