LINC Administrators’ Forum Language Service Providers AMSSA Expense Claim Guidelines & Eligibility
Funded delegates attending an AMSSA event will be reimbursed for expenses as outlined in this document when they submit an AMSSA Expense Claim Form. AMSSA is responsible for the administration of these guidelines and may need to obtain further clarification when necessary.
Due to budgetary considerations and the March timeframe, AMSSA may be required to place a limit on the reimbursement for travel expenses. Given this, it is imperative that meeting participants book their travel, using the most cost effective method.
1.0 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Expense claim forms must arrive at the AMSSA office on or before the deadline of Thursday, March 15, 2018 with all the original receipts attached. AMSSA will NOT accept any expense claim after the deadline. Please see the eligibility for expenses for delegates listed by region, as per AMSSA travel policy and procedures in Section 2.0:
METRO VANCOUVER Community: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, West Vancouver, Vancouver • NOTE: AMSSA will not be able to reimburse travel expenses (including transit expenses) for meeting attendees from the above listed communities. Parking is included with your registration. Please register your vehicles with the Front Desk, say that you are with AMSSA. Please DO NOT purchase a parking pass from the meter dispensaries located in the designated parking areas.
Community: Squamish • Mileage; • Accommodation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; • Dinner on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; and • Dinner on Thursday, March 1, 2018 (if consumed during return travel period). • NOTE: Parking is included with your registration. Please register your vehicles with the Front Desk, say that you are with AMSSA. Please DO NOT purchase a parking pass from the meter dispensaries located in the designated parking areas.
FRASER VALLEY Community: Surrey, Langley, Maple Ridge, Delta • NOTE: AMSSA will not be able to reimburse travel expenses (including transit expenses) for meeting attendees from the above listed communities. Parking is included with your registration. Please register your vehicles with the Front Desk, say that you are with AMSSA. Please DO NOT purchase a parking pass from the meter dispensaries located in the designated parking areas.
Community: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission • Mileage; • Accommodation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; • Dinner on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; and • Dinner on Thursday, March 1, 2018 (if consumed during return travel period).
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LINC Administrators’ Forum Language Service Providers AMSSA Expense Claim Guidelines & Eligibility
• NOTE: Parking is included with your registration. Please register your vehicles with the Front Desk, say that you are with AMSSA. Please DO NOT purchase a parking pass from the meter dispensaries located in the designated parking areas.
INTERIOR/NORTH Community: Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St. James, Fort St. John, Invermere, Kamloops, Kelowna, Keremeos, Kitimat, Penticton, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Quesnel, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Smithers, Terrace, Valemount, Vernon, Williams Lake • Flight (Air Canada Tango fares or equivalent) • Ground transportation to/from airport. Please note that the Executive Hotel Vancouver Airport is easily accessible by Skytrain. • Accommodation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; • Dinner on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; and • Dinner on Thursday, March 1, 2018 (if consumed during return travel period).
VANCOUVER ISLAND Community: Campbell River, Courtenay, Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni, Victoria, Powell River • Sea Plane or Ferry • Ground transportation to/from sea plane or ferry terminal. Please note that the Executive Hotel Vancouver Airport is easily accessible by Skytrain. • Accommodation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; • Dinner on Wednesday, February 28, 2018; and • Dinner on Thursday, March 1, 2018 (if consumed during return travel period).
2.0 TRAVEL POLICY AND PROCEDURES
2.1 Air Travel (Seaplane or Airplane) • Applicable to seaplane and airplane travel. AMSSA will reimburse delegates for the least expensive most direct form of transportation. • Economy or similar fare is to be used when possible (e.g. Air Canada Tango Fare). The actual cost of air travel will be reimbursed up to an amount not exceeding the economy rate when traveling by the most direct route. • Delegates will need to contact the Flight Centre Business Travel Vancouver, who will book their flights using the most cost effective method. • AMSSA will not reimburse the cost of flights that were not booked via the Flight Centre Business Travel Vancouver. • If you are not travelling from your home location, please enclose a quotation from Flight Centre Business Travel Vancouver with your expense form. • The following air travel fees will not be covered by AMSSA (except with AMSSA pre-approval): o Flight change fee; o Flight cancellation fee; o Select and/or upgrade seat fee; o Fare higher than the economy fare; nor o Travel insurance.
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LINC Administrators’ Forum Language Service Providers AMSSA Expense Claim Guidelines & Eligibility
2.2 Ferry • Claims for the full cost of ferry travel will be reimbursed and original receipts are required.
2.3 Mileage and Parking • Mileage is calculated from the delegate’s office address, not home address. • Reimbursement for mileage cannot exceed the cost of air travel. • Applicable parking and toll charges incurred while travelling to/from an event are covered with original receipts. NOTE: Hotel parking is included with your registration. Please register your vehicles with the Front Desk, say that you are with AMSSA. Please DO NOT purchase a parking pass from the meter dispensaries located in the designated parking areas. • Car rental expenses will not be reimbursed without pre-approval by AMSSA. • Metered parking without original receipts is not eligible for reimbursement. • If you will be driving a long distance as opposed to flying to the event destination, a copy of an airfare quotation along with your mileage claim is required. AMSSA is only able to reimburse up to a maximum of the airfare quotation.
2.4 Other Transportation • Reasonable expenditures for taxis and public transportation to/from airports, hotels and meeting places are reimbursable, including SkyTrain Compass Cards ($6) and standard gratuities for service. Original receipts are required.
2.5 Accommodation Hotel (commercial accommodation) • Applicable for delegates travelling from selected regions. (see section 1.0 Eligibility Criteria). • All hotel room reservations must be made by AMSSA through the event online registration form. • If delegates are unable to use the room reservation, please notify AMSSA immediately. N.B. Failure to opt out will result in the accommodation costs being billed directly to you. • Only hotel room rate and taxes will be covered by AMSSA.
Private (non-commercial accommodation) • Applicable for delegates travelling from selected regions. (see section 1.0 Eligibility Criteria). • A delegate staying at a private non-commercial accommodation (e.g. friends, relatives, etc.) may claim a reimbursement. If you choose this option, please contact our Office Coordinator, Saeedeh Foghani at [email protected] or 604-718-2778.
2.6 Per Diems • Applicable for delegates travelling from selected regions, as per section 1.0 Eligibility Criteria. • Please claim only up to the maximum amount of per diems listed on the expense claim form. • Receipts are not required for meal per diems. • Light breakfast and lunch will be served at the meeting.
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LINC Administrators’ Forum Language Service Providers AMSSA Expense Claim Guidelines & Eligibility
2.7 Additional Non-Allowable Expenses
Examples of personal, non-allowable expenses include: • Car rental fees. • Expenses incurred by travel partners. • Interest charged on outstanding credit card balances. • Traffic and parking fines. • Pay-per-view movies, mini bar charges, etc. billed to a hotel room. • Costs associated with failing to cancel or change of transportation or hotel reservations. • Excess baggage fees. • Expenditures such as entertainment, tickets to shows or sporting events, etc. • Any other personal (e.g. clothing) expenditures.
EXPENSE CLAIM FORM SUBMISSION Please use the AMSSA expense claim form to submit expenses for reimbursement. All original, itemized receipts (no photocopies) must be attached to the expense claim form. Incomplete claims, claims submitted without original itemized receipts, or claims received after the deadline will NOT be reimbursed.
We advise delegates to submit the expense claim form on the day of the event for ease of processing, or before the deadline specified on the claim (March 15, 2018). Please mail completed forms to AMSSA, #205-2929 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5N 4C8. Submit your signed original expense claim form and attached original receipts by mail or courier to AMSSA. Sending an additional scanned copy to [email protected] or a faxed copy to 604-298-0747 will ensure that your expense claim is processed efficiently.
For those not sending an expense claim, please send an e-mail to AMSSA at [email protected] acknowledging that you will not be claiming expenses.
Expense claims must be submitted and received by AMSSA two weeks after the event.
All participants of the event will receive two reminders to submit their expense claims. If AMSSA does not receive a reply in response to the expense claim reminders, participants will receive a written e-mail notification that AMSSA will consider the issue closed.
After the deadline, there will be no opportunity to submit expenses for reimbursement. AMSSA will not reimburse expense claims received after the deadline of March 15, 2018.
QUESTIONS If you have questions regarding the eligibility criteria or AMSSA travel policy, please contact Saeedeh Foghani, Office Coordinator, at 604-718-2778 or email [email protected].
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