Submit US visa applications no later than April 15
The International AIDS Society (IAS) has advised that all non-American media representatives/delegates to the XIX International AIDS Conference, being held in Washington D.C. during July 22 -27, need to apply for a visa to enter the United States, and must do so by April 15 latest. In a release issued last week, the IAS stressed the importance of making early visa applications, affirming: “All visa applications should be made no later than 90 days before travelling to the U.S. (i.e., no later than mid-April 2012) in order to allow sufficient time for the application procedure.”
The release cautioned, “Waiting time for interviews at some U.S. embassies is very long, therefore you should apply as soon as possible.”
And to media delegates, there was a word of caution:  “We strongly encourage you to contact the U.S. embassy as soon as possible to check the requirements and current waiting times for interviews….  Please note that it is the sole responsibility of the media delegate to take care of his/her visa requirements, and the conference secretariat is unable to contact the US embassy on your behalf.”
The IAS said media representatives who will report on the conference, either while in the U.S. or upon their return to their home country, should apply for an ‘I visa’ (media, journalists).
Further, the advisory outlined, “All media representatives should produce the official conference letter of invitation as part of their visa application. To receive the letter of invitation, they need to request the letter when registering, or forward their media registration confirmation to letterofregistration@aids2012.org.”
For more information about the visa requirements for media representatives, visit: http://www.aids2012.org/WebContent/File/AIDS2012_Visa_Media.pdf
And for more information about the visa process, other categories of delegates can visit: http://www.aids2012.org/Default.aspx?pageId=481

AIDS 2012
The International AIDS Conference represents the largest gathering of professionals working in the field of HIV, including people living with HIV and other leaders in the HIV response. It plays a fundamental role in shaping the global response to HIV, and in keeping HIV and AIDS on the international political agenda.
Conference organization
AIDS 2012 is convened by the International AIDS Society (IAS) and the international partners of the conference: the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the International Council of AIDS Service Organizations (ICASO), the International Community of Women with HIV/AIDS (ICW), and the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS): the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Sidaction.

About the IAS
The International AIDS Society (IAS) is the world’s leading independent association of HIV professionals. It has over 16,000 members from more than 196 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. Members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the frontlines of the epidemic, and policy and programme planners. The IAS is the custodian of the biennial International AIDS Conference, and is lead organizer of the IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from June 30 – July 3, 2013.