San Francisco - Alison Bing [242]
For the updated list of countries included in the program and current requirements, see the website of the US Department of State (http://travel.state.gov/visa). All other travelers will need a visitor’s visa except for Canadian citizens, who currently need only proof of identity and citizenship – but check the US Department of State for updates, as requirements may change.
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WOMEN TRAVELERS
Women should apply their street smarts in San Francisco as in any other US city, just to be on the safe side. In SF, women are safe to walk into a bar alone without encountering uninvited come-ons – no one is going to make presumptions about your availability, interest or sexual orientation.
The Women’s Building (Map; 415-431-1180; www.womensbuilding.org; 3543 18th St; 9am-6pm; 14, 26, 33, 49, J; 16th St Mission) has a Community Resource Room offering information on healthcare, domestic violence, childcare, harassment, legal issues, employment and housing. For more sites and venues geared specifically to women (biological and otherwise), see the Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Trans SF chapter Click here.
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WORK
Foreign visitors are not legally allowed to work in the USA without the appropriate working visa. The type of visa you need depends on the type of work.
H visa For temporary workers.
L visa For employees in intra-company transfers.
O visa For workers with extraordinary abilities.
P visa For athletes and entertainers.
Q visa For international cultural-exchange visitors.
The most common, the H visa, can be difficult to obtain. It usually requires a sponsoring organization, ie the company you will be working for in the US. The company will need to demonstrate why you, rather than a US citizen, are most qualified for the job. If you’d like to line up a job before you go, monitor the extensive employment listings on Craigslist (http://sfbay.craigslist.org).
Doing Business
To help your meetings or convention run smoothly in San Francisco, check in with the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (Map; SFCVB; 415-974-6900; www.sfcvb.org; 900 Market St; 8:30am-5pm Mon-Fri). If San Francisco’s history of boom and bust doesn’t scare you off, consult the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce (Map; 415-392-4520; www.sfchamber.com; 12th fl, 235 Montgomery St; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) for information about business climate, loans, leasing and other start-up essentials.
Fax machines are easy to find in the USA, at packaging outlets, photocopy services and hotel business service centers. The San Francisco Main Library also offers fax services.
Express Photo & Mail ( 415-551-1277; 1388 Haight St; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat; 6, 7, 43, 71) offers fax machines and can take care of all your shipping needs.
Volunteering
To demonstrate your gratitude to San Francisco for showing you a good time, why not volunteer for a local nonprofit? Check out the online service VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org), which can set you up with a worthy local nonprofit that matches your interests, talents and availability, even if it’s only a few hours. Craigslist (http://sfbay.craigslist.org/vol) also lists opportunities to make yourself handy in the community, from nonprofit fashion-show fundraisers to teaching English to new arrivals.
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BEHIND THE SCENES
* * *
THIS BOOK
THANKS
OUR READERS
* * *
THIS BOOK
This 7th edition of San Francisco was written by Alison Bing and John A Vlahides. Alison also wrote the previous edition along with Dominique Channell. This guidebook was commissioned in Lonely Planet’s Oakland, California, office and produced by the following: