The ATLAS User Program - Visitor Information

Site Access:

Researchers who plan to come to Argonne for an ATLAS experiment are required to complete certain forms. All ATLAS Users need to have a Guest Facilities User Agreement completed and signed (click here). The amount of lead time needed and complexity involved will depend on their status. In any case, Users should contact either Mrs. Barbara Weller (bweller@anl.gov) or the ATLAS User Liaison Physicist, Shaofei Zhu (zhu@anl.gov) as far in advance of their arrival as possible.

Please Note: There is an additional informational requirement for visitor access. This change requires vehicle registration prior to receiving a visitor gate pass. In addition to the current information gathered, visitors are required to provide the Visitor Center clerks with vehicle make, model, color and license plate number, which will be entered into the Gate Pass system.

U.S. Citizens - This is the simplest case. A drivers license or other photo-ID is required. The visitor will need to stop by the Visitor Information Center adjacent to the main gate to pick up their temporary gate pass. Gate passes can be arranged in advance by contacting the people listed above. ATLAS Users are also encouraged to obtain an ANL photo-ID badge. Currently, all ANL employees and visitors are required to wear their badges or visitor passes in a clearly visible manner while on site.

Citizens of non-sensitive countries - In this case, please allow at least 2-6 weeks prior to your visit. Mrs. Weller will need to fill out ANL form 593, for which the information requested in the following Foreign National Access Request Form must be supplied:
- Word Format
- PDF Format
- Proof of In-Status - Starting Monday, February 13th, 2006, all foreign national visitors and new foreign national employees, upon their initial visit to Argonne, will be required to show proof that they are legally in-status by presenting their INS documentation at the AIC before an employee badge or visitor gate pass will be issued. Please advise your guests of ANL's new policy so that they are prepared to produce their passport along with their visa, or other applicable documentation such as their I-94, I-20, DS-2019, EAD, etc.

Citizens from sensitive countries - The same requirements listed above apply, but this is a much more complicated case and one should plan on a lead time of at least 60 days for the paperwork to be processed and clearance to be granted. Please contact Mrs. Weller as far in advance as possible. If the country is on the terrorist/embargoed list, approval from the DOE Secretary is required and the process may take 6-12 months or more.

Individuals entering the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP):

Effective October 26, 2004, all individuals entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must present a machine readable passport (MRP) at a U. S. Port of Entry to be admitted into the United States without a visa. Travelers without machine readable passports must obtain a non-immigrant visa at a U. S. Embassy or Consulate before gaining access to the United States.

If you are planning to come to Argonne for an experiment at ATLAS, please check your passport to make sure it is machine readable. If a family member will accompany you, each family member needs an individual passport since the MRPs typically have biodata for only one traveler in the machine-readable zone.

The following 27 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

For more information on the Visa Waiver Program go to http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html