Documents for Foreign Nationals

All foreign nationals (non-U.S. citizens) intending to work at the ALS must ensure that they have all relevant travel and visa documents completed and approved before they will be permitted to work at Berkeley Lab. Owing to increased security measures, it is particularly important to begin the visa application process a soon as possible in order to avoid delays that may result in lost beamtime, etc. In addition, researchers who are citizens of, or were born in, sensitive* or terrorist-sponsoring countries** must notify the User Services Office immediately (see detailed information below).

*Sensitive countries include: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, People's Republic of (includes Hong Kong), Democratic People's Republic of North Korea,Georgia, India, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya,Moldova, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

**Terrorist-sponsoring countries include: Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria.

Requirements for foreign nationals (excluding nationals of sensitive and terrorist-sponsoring countries)

Upon arriving at the ALS, users who are not U.S. citizens must present the following documents when they register at the ALS User Services Office:

Proof of health insurance coverage
Passport
Passport must show issue and expiration date, passport number, and photo.
I-94 (front and back)
The I-94 is placed in your passport by the Immigration and Naturalization (INS) officer when you enter the U.S.
Visa and relevant supporting documents as outlined in the chart below:

Visa Types and Required Documents

J-1 Visa

F-1 Visa

H1B Visa

B1 Visa

WB, WT, or CP Visa

TN Visa

Passport

I-94

U.S. Visa Stamp

DS2019 (formerly IAP-66)

Medical Insurance Card

Passport

I-94

U.S. Visa Stamp

I-20

*EAD (Employment Authorization Document-* if using optional practical training after I-20 expires)

Student Identification Card
(from home institution)

Passport

I-94

U.S. Visa
Stamp

I-797
(Notice of Action/Approval)

Passport

I-94

U.S. Visa Stamp

Passport

I-94

Passport

I-94

U.S. Visa stamp

Requirements for foreign nationals from sensitive countries

Foreign nationals who are citizens of or were born in*** any of the countries on the U.S. Department of Energy’s list of sensitive countries must notify the ALS User Services Office 30 days prior to their visit to the ALS.

Requirements for foreign nationals from terrorist-sponsoring countries

Approval from the Department of Energy is required for foreign nationals who are citizens of, or were born in***, any of the countries identified by the U.S. State Department as terrorist-sponsoring countries, before they will be permitted to work at Berkeley Lab. These individuals must notify the ALS User Services Office of their intention to visit the ALS as early as possible. The DOE approval process may take 6 months or longer to complete, so early notification is essential.

***This does not include anyone who was born in a sensitive or terrorist-sponsoring country who has become a U.S. citizen.

An overview of Berkeley Lab's security procedures for foreign nationals visiting the lab can be found on the EH&S Web page Unclassified Foreign Visits and Assignments.

For additional information about the documentation requirements for foreign nationals, see Berkeley Lab's International Researchers and Scholars Office (IRSO); for more information about registering as an ALS user, see the Registration Web page or contact:

ALS User Services Office
Tel: 510-486-7745
Fax: 510-486-4773
Email: alsuser@lbl.gov