Affiliates are non-employee contributors engaged in Berkeley Lab activities. They are not Berkeley Lab employees. Affiliates are subject to applicable training in safety and other subjects, and must abide by all applicable policies and requirements including but not limited to Intellectual Property, Site Access and Security policies. Affiliates are issued a Berkeley Lab identification badge and may receive access rights to system accounts. They also receive access to certain buildings/facilities (depending on the nature of their position) and a possible per diem allowance for housing and living expenses in accordance with the Non-Employee Payment policy. Examples of Affiliates include participants of User Facilities, scientific collaborators, students, subcontractors and independent consultants, etc.
For Affiliates visiting Berkeley Lab as a B-1 or WB Business Visitor:
B-2 Tourist visas and WT Visa Waiver Program entry documents are NOT permitted for purposes of access to Berkeley Lab site. When entering the U.S. for the purpose of visiting Berkeley Lab, please make certain that you provide the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspecting officer with your Berkeley Lab invitation letter or correspondence with HR Shared Services (Affiliate Office or International Researchers and Scholars Office), and explain that you are coming to the U.S. for purposes of Business. Please ensure that have been granted entry into the U.S. by the CBP officer at the Port of Entry (airport) as a B-1 or WB visitor. After inspection and before you have left the Customs area, you should look at the stamp placed in your passport by the officer, and if not marked as B-1 or WB, as expected, ask the officer to please review and amend, if possible.
In addition, Berkeley Lab guidelines require all international visitors participating in research activities OVER 30 DAYS to come as J-1 Exchange Visitors. While U.S. immigration inspectors have wide discretion in granting entry to the U.S., they do not view the Visa Waiver Program as appropriate for someone coming to the Lab to conduct any research especially if it is full-time for an extended period. In addition, many embassies and consulates now require the J-1 visa be used for such purposes. Although the CBP may admit you to the US for a total of 90 days in the WB category, your stay at the Lab under the ESTA Visa Waiver Program is limited to a total of 30 days or less. This cannot be extended.
If you are an Affiliate who has already been granted entry into the U.S. by CBP as a B-2 or WT nonimmigrant, you will not receive a Berkeley Lab badge or access to the site until you have secured proper and acceptable visa/status documentation for your visit/assignment at Berkeley Lab. The appropriate status for you would be B-1 or WB. Please contact CBP in San Francisco (see below) to amend your entry documents. If you visit the CBP in person, have ready to show the CBP officer, your current passport, visa/entry stamp, your electronic I-94 form, and your Berkeley Lab invitation letter or correspondence with HR Shared Services, Affiliate Office or International Researchers and Scholars Office regarding your visit.
- 630 Sansome St. Room 1185, San Francisco, CA 94111-2280 (Montgomery BART station is the closest stop)
- Hours of Operation: 7:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (DROP IN ONLY)
- Days Open: Monday -Thursday
- Phone: (415) 844-5227 or (415) 844-5228
- FAX: (415) 844-5235
For more information about Affiliates and Affiliate processing, please visit our Affiliates page.
