A Hacker Guide to

Traveling Internationally to a Hackathon

Hey Hacker!

We are so thrilled you’re making the effort to travel from afar to attend our event. There are some things you should get started on asap.

First up, we are here to help (join #assemble for assistance) at any time on any day. Here’s the rundown:

1. Get your parents’/guardians’ approval first! Let them know that Hack Club has run many events for teenagers, many of whom have traveled abroad to attend. Show them our site and as much info as you can. If you think it will help, please reach out to kara@hackclub.com to arrange a call with them and Christina Asquith, the COO of HC and a parent of teenagers herself.
2. Ensure that you have a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements).
3. Learn as much as you can about any visa requirements, and start making a plan for how to apply (and when). We’ve prepared a guide below. We also have teenagers from a variety of countries who have successfully attained visas. Reach out to us for help for yours, specifically.
4. Get on flights.google.com and see what airlines you’ll likely be traveling on. Then, read up on their specific covid requirements, and make appointments, etc as necessary.
5. Costs! We know this is likely costly. We have limited need-based stipends so please reach out to us if you require a travel stipend (to be used for all costs related to coming to SF).

Here’s a few things that we can provide you with:

• A letter in support of your application (please dm @belle so we can write one for you!)
• Connect you with Hack Clubbers that might be going through the same process so you can help each other
• When you get a visa interview, help you prepare for the interview!

After your visa application is approved (fingers crossed!), we’ll be able to assist with flight bookings and more. This process can be gruesome but hopefully the reward is worth it!

Also, please check which type of visa you need before proceeding with this guide. A good resource: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ 

If you have any questions, please reach out to @belle and @kara on slack or email us at assemble@hackclub.com.

You got this!

- Assemble Team

Table of Contents:

        Visa Application (Egypt, India, Mexico, Indonesia, etc.)

                How to apply

                Expedited appointment

        ESTA Application (Singapore, UK, Greece, etc.)

                How to apply

        Assemble Specific Details

        Traveling to San Francisco

Visa Application

If you’re from India, Mexico, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, or most other countries, you’ll find that you need a Visa to enter the United States! There are a few types of visas but the one that would likely apply in this situation is a B1 or B2 Visitor Visa for Tourism or Business purposes.

Note: Some countries might have something more specific that’s easier to apply for so please check your consulate’s website: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/. If you aren’t sure, reach out to us and we can work with you to find the most suitable one.

To apply for a B1 or B2 Visa you need:

• Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page.
• Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Source: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html 

📌 Our current recommendation is to apply for a B1 Business Visa and specifically, under the clause “Traveling for a scientific, educational, professional or business convention, or a conference on specific dates”.  This would allow you to apply for expedited visa appointments which would allow you to get your visa as soon as possible!

Note on applying for an emergency visa appointment

You will need to first apply for a B1 Visa as per usual, pay for the visa, and secure an appointment (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT)!

Note: it’s ok if your appointment is in 2023 or even 2024 so long you get an appointment slot

And in July (less than 30 days before the start of the summer event), you’ll put in a request for an expedited visa. We would provide a letter that can hopefully make the case that you must get the visa to get to SF in time.

Find more information here: How To Request An Expedited Interview

Here are some country specific links that have more information on steps for an emergency visa appointment.

Note: If you are approved for an emergency visa appointment, you might have to travel to get to the location (might not be the one close to you) that has an availability as you might not get a choice. Also, it’s not guaranteed that your application will be approved but we’ll provide a letter that should give you the best chance! Our team has experience working on this.

Within your visa application, you will need to add an address for where you’ll be staying as well as a point of contact. Find the information here.

If you are unsure of what to add, please reach out to @belle and @kara and we can work with you to provide the most suitable answer!

You got this :))

ESTA Application

If you’re a citizen of Singapore, UK, Greece, or one of the countries that are part of the Visa Waiver Program (check here: http://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/), your application should be relatively easy!

To apply for an ESTA you need:

• Passport (with valid expiration date and IC chip)
• Credit card (it does not need to be the name of the applicant)

Check out this link to see what an ESTA application includes: https://esta-center.com/en/flow/index.html 

After putting in an application and paying for it, you should receive your authorization within 3 days and you’re set to join us!! Woohoo!

Assemble Information

Intended Date of Arrival: August 5th 2022

Intended Length of Stay: 3 days

Address of where you’ll stay in the US

760 Market St Floor 10, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States

Trip Sponsor

Company/Organization Paying For Your Trip: Hack Club

Telephone: 1-855-625-4225

Email: team@hackclub.com

Address: 15 Falls Rd, Shelburne, VT, 05482

Relationship to you: Conference Host

Point of Contact in the US

{{Personal Details}}

Traveling to San Francisco

If your visa was approved, congrats!!! Here’s the next steps:

1. Figure out how long you’ll be in the US for. We understand that the journey to SF might be a long way for just a weekend and you might want to stay a little longer.

If you have to come earlier/ leave later, due to budget constraints, we won’t be able to cover those costs but can work with you to find alternative options like staying at a hacker house or youth hostel to keep costs low!

2. Book your flight tickets! Once you know how long your trip will be, you should book the tickets asap as they tend to get more expensive closer to the date of the trip :)
3. Get travel insurance!

If you’re not sure about what policies to get, reach out to @kara, @belle, or @dev and we’ll work with you to ensure you’re covered!

4. Read up on travel policies of your specific airline as well as the United States like “do you need to get a covid test before traveling?”

1. More Info: CDC 

5. Get excited about the trip and start packing!

As we get closer to the trip, we’ll also update this document with travel specific information to help you make this journey as awesome and safe as possible.

We can’t wait to see you in San Francisco :)

Till next time, hacker!