steering Committee  

Category of Visas



CONFERENCE VISA, or TOURIST VISA, or BUSINESS VISA

Depending on the nature of your journey, your country of origin, duration of stay, and other variables, such as special agreements between governments, each conference registrant will need to decide on the appropriate category of VISA.

Please be aware that once you apply for a VISA, it is possible that change of purpose might not be allowed once you reach India. If you are considering a vacation while in India, you might opt to apply for a tourist visa. In some countries a formal letter of invitation may not be required for a tourist visa.

In some cases this will be easier to obtain than a business or conference visa. In other cases, one's country of origin may require that travel is permitted only on a business or conference VISA. Conference registrants are advised to check with the Indian Consulate office in their region to determine if a tourist, conference, or business VISA is the best choice for their individual travel requirements.

CONFERENCE VISA: In the case of a conference VISA it is likely that a letter of invitation from the organizer of the conference is to be attached along with the visa application. Visas for international conferences, or on certain subjects, as decided by the Government of India from time to time, can be issued only after clearance for the said conference is received from the Government of India.

Letter of Invitation

Invitation Letter Request Instructions:
  • Please have the following information readily available in order to fill out the required fields on the request form for the Letter of Invitation: registration number, title, full name, nationality, date and place of birth, present address, city, zip/postal code, country, fax number and address, passport information (passport number, date, place of issue, and validity), occupation, purpose of visit, and expected duration of stay
  • If you require any additional special requirements, please indicate that in the Comments/Suggestions field.
  • When you submit your form, the Invitation Letter is automatically generated.
  • Letters cannot be e-mailed or sent to the Embassy or U.S. Consulate. ASCE cannot intervene on behalf of the invitees with the Embassy or U.S. Consulate via fax, phone, surface mail, or e-mail.