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The International Activities Office (IA) supports the National Weather Service in various administrative areas related
to international programs and activities. These support activities include coordinating foreign travel for NWS
employees and coordinating the visits of foreign delegations and students coming to the NWS for various purposes.
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| Support for Foreign Travel for All NWS Employees |
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The IAO provides administrative support for foreign travel for all NWS employees and for travelers hosted by
NWS/IA, known as “invitational travelers”. This support includes:
- Processing, official passport and visa requests through the NOAA Travel office;
- Providing guidance on the Federal Travel Regulations and NOAA Travel Regulations;
- Making travel arrangements for NWS/IA invitational travelers;
- Coordination and routing of NWS foreign travel packages to NWS DAA;
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 Related Links of Interest: |
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| Submission of Foreign Travel Package to IAO Prior To Travel |
| Scenario | Timeframe |
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| Traveler does not have a passport and requires a visa | 6-8 Weeks |
| Traveler does not have a passport and will not require a visa | 6-8 Weeks |
| Traveler has a passport and will require a visa | 4 Weeks |
| Traveler has a passport and will not require a visa | 3 Weeks |
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| Contact Darlene Roberts for more information. |
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| The Department of State’s J1 Visa Program for Visiting Foreign Research Scholars |
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The IAO is the focal point for NWS-hosted visiting scientists and researchers who require NOAA-sponsored J1 visas.
J1 visas are issued by the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services and administered by the Department of State through the Exchange Visitor Program.
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J1 visas are nonimmigrant visas, and participants in the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program are expected to return to their home
countries when they complete their programs. Entry into the United States as a participant in the Exchange Visitor Program
is granted with the understanding that participants will complete the objectives of a single program category.
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The IAO complies with Department of Homeland Security directives regarding the Student and Exchange and Visitor Information
System (SEVIS), an automated process to collect, maintain and manage information about international foreign students and exchange visitors during their stay in the United States.
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| Related Links of Interest: |
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| The Focal Point for International Visitors to NWS Facilities Nationwide |
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The offices of the National Weather Service receive many different types of international visitors, including heads of foreign
Meteorological Services and their staff and associates, delegations from foreign governments in related disciplines, members
of regional and international organizations, individual scientific and technical collaborators, foreign students and trainees,
and members of foreign academic communities.
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Policy guidance for foreign national visitors to all Department of Commerce facilities are prescribed in the “U.S.
Department of Commerce Manual of Security Policies and Procedures”
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The policies contained in the Security Manual apply to all departmental facilities, activities, and operations. The NWS
follows this guidance and coordinates with the Office of NOAA Security to ensure coordination with all of its visitors.
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The NWS International Activities Office is the focal point for both short-term and long-term international visitors to NWS facilities.
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| Related Links of Interest: |
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weather.gov
