Mailing list archive
Message 02: 29 January 2013
Dear colleagues
As promised yesterday, for the benefit of international delegates, here is some information about applying for visas to allow entry to the UK, and details of how to arrange formal documentation of your involvement in the Congress, whether for visa or funding reasons. (Please ensure that you send requests for such documentation by email to mcc.reg@manchester.ac.uk as discussed below -- not to the iCHSTM enquiries address -- as this will speed up the process.
VISAS AND OTHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
This information is also on our website at http://ichstm2013.com/travel/visas.html
All attendees from outside the UK are responsible for making sure they have the correct documentation to enter the country. Before you travel, please consult the UK Border Agency (UKBA)’s guide at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/customs-travel/
EEA and Switzerland
Most travellers whose nationality is of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland will only require a standard passport.
Other nationalities
If you are of another nationality, the first step is to establish whether you need a visa for travel. Start with the UKBA’s page at
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/do-you-need-a-visa/
This will direct you to further guidance, which you should read very closely. Note that if your sole purpose in coming to the UK is to attend the Congress, it is very likely you will be considered a ‘Business Visitor’.
If you do not require a visa, it is possible that you will instead need other documentation: you are advised to check this before proceeding.
In case of any uncertainty, please consult the UKBA directly via the contact details given on its website, or the British Embassy in your country.
Applying for a visa
You can apply for a visa online at Visa4UK, the official British Government website for visa applications:
http://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/
The earliest you can apply for a visitor’s visa is three months before the date of travel to the UK. You are advised to begin your application as soon as possible within this period, as the process is not trivial. According to the UKBA's statement on visa processing times -- see http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/general-info/processing-times/ -- applications for short trips may in some cases take up to 12 weeks to be resolved.
Please note that neither the University of Manchester, nor the organisers of iCHSTM 2013, are authorised to provide official advice to conference attendees on visa issues. Should your application be denied, iCHSTM 2013 cannot change the decision of the UKBA, nor can we engage in discussion or correspondence with the UKBA or the British Embassy on behalf of the applicant.
APPLYING FOR DOCUMENTATION
This information is also on our website at http://ichstm2013.com/documentation/
If you need an official letter of invitation or other documents to support an entry visa application or funding bid, please contact the University of Manchester’s conference services organisation, Confercare, who manage this service on our behalf. You should email your request to
mcc.reg@manchester.ac.uk
where it will be picked up and responded to by Confercare staff.
To ensure that you get the document(s) you need as quickly as possible, please make sure that you state the following:
- the reason(s) why you need documentation (immigration visa, bid for travel funds from your institution, etc)
- your full name, in the exact format that will be needed for the documentation you are seeking
- your current contact details
- the full contact details of any specific organisation to which the letter should be addressed, if this is a requirement
- details of any special information which needs to be covered in the letter.
Confercare staff have access to the current details of the Congress programme and registrations, and will verify all requests for accuracy.
If you are an accepted participant in a Congress symposium, speaker session, or special event, you may ask for this information to appear in the letter (this is often necessary for funding bids). Please indicate the code number of the relevant symposium or session.
If you have paid the registration fee for the Congress, we will confirm this in the letter if asked to do so. (Congress registration opens on Friday 15 February).
In other cases, we can produce a letter indicating that you have expressed an interest in attending the Congress, and verifying that it will go ahead on the dates indicated.
Best regards
James Sumner
Co-chair, Local Organising Committee