International Travel
The Cardiovascular Research Foundation® welcomes physicians and other health care professionals from around the globe.
Please familiarize yourself with U.S. entry requirements that apply to you.
CTO Plus 2025 has been submitted to MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice for review.
Letter Of Invitation
CRF® will gladly send you a letter of invitation to attend CTO Plus 2025. To request an invitation letter, please contact us at [email protected]. The official CTO Plus 2025 letter of invitation can be used to facilitate processing visas or other documents you need to attend the conference.
Please note, a letter of invitation:
- Does not signify CRF® financial support or commitment.
- Does not guarantee acceptance of an abstract or other submitted science.
- Does not guarantee that you will secure an entry visa.
Supplementary Information for Your Visa Application
You may want to consider including the following with your application for a U.S. entry visa:
- A letter from CRF® inviting you to speak or accepting your abstract, if applicable.
- A letter from your institution, training director, or employer stating you have been given time to attend CTO Plus 2025 and are expected back at your place of employment on a specific date. The name on the letter must exactly match the name on your passport.
- Documentation of your CTO Plus 2025 registration, such as registration ID, hotel confirmation, and flight information. The name on your reservations must exactly match the name on your passport.
CRF® cannot intervene with the U.S. Embassy or U.S. State Department on your behalf.
International Travel Support
Prohibited Direct Financial Support to Health Care Providers
Effective January 1, 2018, the MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice, AdvaMed, and APACMed prohibit medical device companies (MDCs) from providing direct financial sponsorship for registration, housing, travel, and meals to health care professionals (HCPs) to attend medical education conferences or training programs such as CTO Plus 2025.
Permissible Financial Support to Organizations
MDCs can give restricted educational grants to certain organizations to provide financial support to non–U.S.-based HCPs to attend CTO Plus 2025 and similar medical education events.
Health care organizations: MDCs are permitted to provide educational grants to hospitals. A hospital administrator is responsible for allocating grants to eligible HCPs. Check with your cath lab director or hospital administrator for more information.
National societies: MDCs are permitted to provide educational grants to national societies. Each society will be responsible for allocating grants to eligible HCPs. We encourage you to check with your society for more information.
Third-party organizations: The below third-party organizations can assist in seeking educational grants from MDCs to provide financial support to eligible HCPs to attend medical meetings such as CTO Plus 2025.
|
THIRD-PARTY ORGANIZATION |
REGION |
CONTACT |
|
|
Benestar |
Asia |
Filly Asteen |
|
|
Crest |
Asia |
Rukshana Taraporewala |
|
|
Vovisto |
Asia |
Aldrin Vovisto |
|
|
The Society for Worldwide Medical Exchange |
Europe/Asia/LATAM |
Gala Marrazzo |
|
|
Medi8 Events |
Europe |
Benjamin Robin |
|
|
Victory Project Congressi |
Europe |
Francesca Rovelli |
Important: These third parties are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation® (CRF®), the official sponsor of CTO Plus 2025.
Visa Information
If you need an entry visa, please visit your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to obtain the necessary documents — and please plan in advance to allow enough time for the visa to be processed. Visit the U.S. Department of State website for information on the visa application process.
Applications for visas have taken as long as 90 days to process due to COVID-19 staffing issues. You must contact your local consulate as soon as possible about the application process for entry into the United States if you are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
The following information is for initial reference only. Please visit the U.S. Department of State website and other official U.S. government websites (listed below) for the most current and accurate information for planning your travel to the United States.
Check Your Passport Before Booking Travel
If your passport is expired or due to expire soon, please be sure to renew it before your trip. Visitors to the United States are typically required to be in possession of a passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
Most citizens or nationals of the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) are permitted to travel to the United States for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa. Please check the relevant requirements with the U.S. State Department or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
To travel without a visa on the VWP, you must have authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that you check your ESTA status prior to making any travel reservations or traveling to the United States.
Exceptions To Visa Waiver Program (VWP)
Some citizens of VWP countries must apply for a visa to enter the United States using the regular appointment process at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. This requirement falls under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 and pertains to:
Nationals of VWP countries who have traveled to or been present in North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen on or after March 1, 2011.
Nationals of VWP countries who are also nationals of North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, or Syria.
Learn more about these exceptions to the VWP and find out how to apply for a U.S. visa.