Financial Policy
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Financial Policy Volume XIV Travel Chapter 6 International Travel Approved: _________________________________________ Jon J. Rychalski Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 0601 Overview .............................................................................................................. 2 0602 Revisions ............................................................................................................. 2 0603 Definitions ............................................................................................................ 6 0604 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................. 7 0605 Policies ................................................................................................................. 9 060501 General Policies ........................................................................................ 9 060502 VA Form 0900, Foreign Travel Country Clearance Application ............ 9 060503 Foreign Travel Portal .............................................................................. 12 060504 Approval of Foreign Area Travel ........................................................... 13 060505 Government Passport Applications ...................................................... 14 060506 Issuance of a Government Passport ..................................................... 15 060507 Visa Requirements .................................................................................. 18 060508 Lost or Stolen Government Passports ................................................. 20 060509 Teleworking in a Foreign Country ......................................................... 21 060510 National Security Requirements of Executive Officials ....................... 21 0606 Authorities and References .............................................................................. 22 0607 Rescissions ....................................................................................................... 23 0608 Questions ........................................................................................................... 24 Appendix A: Revision History ................................................................................... 25 Appendix B: Designation of Approval for Foreign Travel ....................................... 27 Appendix C: Veterans Health Administration Approval ......................................... 28 Appendix D: Department of State Tips for Foreign Travel ..................................... 33 1 Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 0601 Overview This chapter establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) financial policies for international (foreign) travel. Travelers should familiarize themselves with the information contained in this chapter before initiating travel outside the United States (U.S.) and its territories. Foreign travel is subject to all the requirements contained in Title 41, Subsection F, Code of Federal Regulations (41 C.F.R), Chapters 300 through 304; 22 C.F.R., PART 51, Passports; and VA Financial Policy Volume XIV Travel. Key points covered in this chapter: • VA employees representing VA on official travel to a foreign area are required to: o Initiate a request for all foreign area travel using the Foreign Travel Portal by obtaining Supervisor or Service Chief approval on VA Form 0900, Foreign Travel Country Clearance Application, and submit no later than 60 calendar days in advance of the travel departure date, or 90 calendar days in advance if travel involves approved telework; o Submit a foreign travel approved VA Form 0900, via email to VA Financial Services Center (FSC), no later than 30 calendar days in advance of commencing travel to allow for country clearance and required visas to be obtained; o Perform travel while in an official duty status; and o Conduct travel activities under an approved travel authorization (TA); • Any foreign travel request combining personal travel with official foreign travel will be disallowed if the number of personal days exceeds the number of official travel days; • Travelers on official foreign travel using a Government passport may not enter the destination foreign country until the country clearance is obtained; • VA executive officials, at or above the rank of Assistant Secretaries (or their equivalent) are required to submit a foreign travel proposal/request to the National Security Staff of the White House for approval (Section 060510); and • VA employees having a “Secret” or higher security clearance must notify the Office of Operations and Security Preparedness (OSP) when they will be out of the country on either personal or official Government travel. 0602 Revisions Reason for Effective Section Revision Office Change Date Updated Domestic 060509 Employee Teleworking OFP Teleworking in a Overseas (DETO) General Update May 2021 (047G) Foreign Country clearance requirement contact information. 2 Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 Reason for Effective Section Revision Office Change Date Rescinded July 2020 OFP 0607 Rescissions General Update May 2021 published chapter. (047G) Added FSC DETO OFP 0608 Questions General Update May 2021 Team email address. (047G) Reformatted to new Office of policy format, Financial Leadership Various reorganized policy sub- Policy organizational July 2020 sections, and completed (OFP) change. a 5-year review. (047G) Added passport Leadership regulations, and key OFP organizational 0601 Overview July 2020 points covered in this (047G) change and chapter. General Update. Updated to reflect OFP 0603 Definitions General Update. July 2020 current definitions. (047G) Updated to reflect all Financial Services Center roles and Leadership 0604 Roles and responsibilities OFP change and July 2020 Responsibilities regarding passports and (047G) General Update. foreign travel reporting, and VA Form 0900 approval roles. Added guidance on abiding laws while performing foreign travel; ethics 060501 General OFP requirements; General Update. July 2020 Rules (047G) dangerous country and safe travel; and foreign travel security briefing requirements. 060502 VA Form Consolidated all VA 0900, Foreign Form 0900 policy OFP Travel Country requirements in this General Update. July 2020 (047G) Clearance section. Changed VA Application Form 0900 name. 3 Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 Reason for Effective Section Revision Office Change Date Added use of Foreign Travel Portal is 060503 Foreign mandatory for all foreign OFP General Update. July 2020 Travel Portal area travel and provide (047G) policy guidance on portal requirements. Added foreign travel requires an official duty Office of status; authorized General absence is not an official Counsel duty status; Approving guidance; Officials are required to Leadership 060504 Approval OFP ensure employees change; July 2020 of Foreign Travel (047G) performing foreign area Rescission of travel are in an official VHA's Foreign duty status; and Travel consolidated policy for Handbook, approving foreign travel 1400.06. VA wide. Consolidated and updated policy on 060505 Issuance issuance and use OFP Leadership of a Government requirements, including July 2020 (047G) change. Passport Permanent Change of Station (PCS) dependents. Consolidated and improved guidance on application requirements. Added guidance on passport 060506 requirements for Government OFP children authorized General Update. July 2020 Passport (047G) PCS. Added guidance Applications on denial of a Government passport including guidance on an employee in arrears on child support. 4 Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 Reason for Effective Section Revision Office Change Date Consolidated visa requirements and 060507 Visa OFP updated photo guidance. General Update. July 2020 Requirements (047G) Added the requirement for a transit-visa. 060508 Lost or Stolen Moved information OFP General Update. July 2020 Government under a specific section. (047G) Passports 060509 Moved information OFP Teleworking in a General Update. July 2020 under a specific section. (047G) Foreign Country 060510 National Moved information Security under previous OFP General Update. July 2020 Requirements of Appendix H here as a (047G) Executive Officials specific section. 0606 Authorities Updated current law and OFP General Update. July 2020 and References references. (047G) Rescinded Vol XIV Ch 6, OFP 0607 Rescissions International Travel General Update. July 2020 (047G) dated August 2015. Updated contact OFP 0608 Questions information, passport General Update. July 2020 (047G) office email change. Previous Appendices removed or moved into new policy sections: B moved to Section OFP Appendices General Update. July 2020 060505; C removed; D (047G) removed; E and F moved to 060507; H moved to 060510. Moved previous revision OFP Appendix A General Update. July 2020 history here. (047G) Moved previous Appendix A to B; OFP Appendix B updated criteria and General Update. July 2020 (047G) positions authorized to approve foreign travel. 5 Department of Veterans Affairs May 2021 International Travel Volume XIV Chapter 6 Reason for Effective Section Revision Office Change Date Rescission of Added VHA foreign VHA's Foreign OFP Appendix C travel approval routing