Start your visa application now for NPE 2006

With only 6 months to go before the NPE 2006 exposition, prospective international visitors to this world-scale plastics trade show are urged to start the process of obtaining a U.S. visa now. NPE 2006 will take place June 19-23 at Chicago's McCormick Place. While citizens of 27 countries may not need a visa to enter the United States, those elsewhere must obtain one, and in some of these countries applicants face long delays, as the U.S. government has heightened concern for security following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This leads to delays in visa application processing. SPI advises prospective international visitors to NPE 2006 to take advantage of the following: --ONLINE INFORMATION AND CONTACTS. At www.npe.org/international, prospective visitors will find: 1) a downloadable document giving advice on applying for a visa and preparing for an interview by a consular officer in their country (a copy of the document accompanies this release); 2) detailed contact information, including email links, for U.S. diplomatic and commercial officers in more than 100 countries; 3) contact information for organizers of visitor delegations from numerous countries; and 4) and a link to the U.S. State Department website, which provides essential information for visa applicants. --OFFICIAL INVITATION LETTERS sent by SPI to international visitors upon their pre-registration to attend NPE 2006. (Visitors simply check a box in the registration form to request a letter.) The letters should be included with visa applications and presented at interviews with U.S. consular officers. --SUPPORT FROM U.S. REPRESENTATIVES IN MANY COUNTRIES. The U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce has selected NPE 2006 for its International Buyer Program, which promotes international business at American trade shows. SPI has provided information about NPE 2006 to Commercial Service officers in embassies and consulates around the world. While these officers do not influence decisions to grant visas, they can provide prospective visitors to NPE 2006 with first-hand information on the application and approval procedures in their countries. "First-time visa applicants need to understand that the decision on approving or rejecting an individual's visa application is made locally by a particular consular officer, and not at the State Department in Washington," Bishop said. "While the interview required for each applicant at the U.S. office in his or her country typically takes only a few minutes, it may take weeks to obtain an appointment for an interview because of the backlog of applicants. Each embassy or consulate should be able to estimate the waiting time." (A Press Release)