International Travel
Letter of Invitation
International teams may need a letter of invitation to obtain a visa so that they can come to the United States.
With the understanding that visa processing times vary greatly by country, AIAA will furnish visa invitation letters to teams that have submitted a proposal and intend to also submit a final design report and go to the DBF Fly-Off. Teams that need a letter of invitation to apply for U.S. visas should fill out a visa letter request form. This form is completely online, and the information you submit will be used to create your visa letter. AIAA cannot assist with nor guarantee speedy visa processing times after a letter is returned to you, and AIAA has no influence over U.S. consulate visa processing times. AIAA will also not issue any emergency or expedited visa requests because these requests are almost never approved.
One letter of invitation will be automatically prepared based on information you submit. When completing the letter request form, please only include the names of the team members traveling to the United States who will need visas. This information will be checked against the official team roster you submitted. Students not listed on the official roster submitted will not be included in the letter. Please also write each traveler’s legal name as it appears on their passports. Failure to provide full legal names can result in delays processing your visa.
Shipping to the United States
Each team is responsible for getting their aircraft to the fly-off. AIAA will not accept packages. One option that some teams choose is to ship their plane ahead of the competition via UPS, DHL, or some other shipping service. Please take note of the following points.
- A physical address must be entered for final delivery. This address must also have someone there who can sign for the package(s). Most shipping companies will not hold a package at a warehouse for the sender.
- The package will need to clear customs to be delivered. Clearing customs will most likely require that the aforementioned person at the delivery location provide a Power of Attorney (POA) document and provide information about the business or person occupying the delivery address.
A commercial invoice must be prepared. This invoice must be provided with the package, and most likely must be available from the outside of the package and in multiple copies.
The shipping company used is at the complete discretion of the team.
The person receiving the visa letter will be responsible for distributing copies of that letter to teammates.
Visas
Non-U.S. citizens traveling to the competition from abroad may be required to obtain a visa to enter the country. Visas are handled by the U.S. Department of State. Neither AIAA nor any corporate sponsor have influence in any way on whether a person receives a visa to enter the United States.
AIAA will validate team information and provide information about the competition only. No one involved with the competition will provide reference for any individual, nor will they act as a sponsor in any way. The competition is an event over a weekend. While there are prizes, the event is considered personal activity. Therefore, persons coming for the competition could qualify for a tourist visa.
Information about obtaining a visa to the United States can be found at the U.S. Department of State website.
