Dear Maureen,

Thank you for bringing forward the concerns of some funded travelers regarding securing visas for ICANN66 in Montreal.

I would like to brief you our visa processes, and next steps.

The Travel Services and Meetings teams have been working diligently on visas for Montreal.  Prior to selecting Montreal as the location for ICANN66, we laid the groundwork to ensure the visa process would be as smooth as possible by working with our partners in Canada … Tourism Montreal and the Special Events Unit of NHQ Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.  We advised them of the importance of all delegates receiving visas; advised them of the geographic make-up of ICANN meeting delegates; gained their commitment to put special processes in place to give the highest level of consideration to visa requests from ICANN delegates; and ensured that they would publicize our meeting with Canadian embassies and consulates.  They, in turn, provided us with a single point of contact to escalate visa issues; communicated with embassies and consulates; and created a special event code for ICANN66, which was provided to our travelers for inclusion in their visa applications.  We then engaged our visa agency, NewlandChase, to assist funded travelers with their visa applications.

Joseph has reached out to all funded travelers on their visa application status.  As predicted, some have received denials … 13 to be exact.  It is not unusual to see this number of visa denials for an ICANN Meeting anywhere in the world.

Joseph has now triggered the next phase of the visa process, which is:

• Determine if those denied would like to re-apply, and provide support as necessary. 
• Engage with our Canadian partners, as mentioned above, and seek their support to reconsider the visa denials.

Canada has an efficient and transparent visa process, so travelers know exactly what to do and expect when applying for a Canadian visa.  ICANN Org and our local host cannot guarantee that all applicants will receive their Canada visas, which may depend on many factors that are outside of our control, for example:

• Not being able to show proof of financial solvency
• Not being able to show proof that they will return back to their home country, i.e., home ties
• Country diplomatic issues
• Not following the visa application procedures as outlined
• Applying late

Joseph, as usual, will keep a watchful eye on the visa issues.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best,

Nick