Effective October 23, 2008, Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation, is revised to update the policy for international travel.
Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation
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2 Before You Begin Traveling
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2-1 Your Responsibilities as a Traveler
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[Delete item 8.]
2-2 Responsibilities of Approving Officials
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2-2.1 Authorizing Travel
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2-2.1.6 For International Travel
[Delete section 2-2.1.6.1, To Canada and Mexico, in its entirety:]
[Delete title of 2-2.1.6. and revise text, now under 2-2.1.6 to read as follows:]
The senior vice president and managing director, Global Business, reviews and determines approval for all international travel of non-officers and performs the following activities relating to international travel, which also includes travel to either Canada or Mexico:
1. Reviews all international travel.
2. Approves travel abroad of members of the United States Postal Service and non-investigative United States Postal Inspection Service to handle USPS-related business.
With the exception of Inspection Service employees on criminal investigative travel, International Postal Affairs assists the traveler in obtaining the required travel credentials, which includes coordinating with other federal agencies and may also include coordinating with other foreign postal administrations.
The chief postal inspector, deputy chief postal inspector, and assistant chief postal inspector are responsible for approving international travel for postal inspectors and other Inspection Service personnel who are on criminal investigative travel. That travel is governed by internal instructions from the Postal Inspection Service. The Postal Inspection Service is responsible for the contact and travel document protocols with the Department of State.
The inspector general and assistant inspectors general are responsible for approving international travel for inspector general personnel. That travel is governed by international instructions from the OIG. The signature of any one of the previously mentioned individuals on a travel voucher indicates inspector general approval.
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4 Preparing to Travel
4-1 Getting Approval
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4-1.3 For International Travel
4-1.3.1 What’s Required
[Revise 4-1.3.1 to read as follows:]
Foreign travel for personnel other than officers, postal service employees who are on criminal investigations, and inspector general personnel will be approved by the senior vice president and managing director, Global Business. Your vice president or officer submits a request for international travel to the senior vice president and managing director, Global Business, who will review the travel request. After the request is approved, route a signed copy of the letter to International Postal Affairs for assistance with any official arrangements to facilitate the travel. This letter must include your dates of travel, purpose and expected outcome, and an estimate of the cost of the trip. Submit an amendment to the travel letter if travel dates change in excess of 15 days from the dates included in the original submission, or if costs exceed ten (10) percent of the original estimate.
Prior to having international airline tickets issued, you must submit a copy of the letter of approval for international travel to the Postal Service’s travel management company (TMC). The TMC will check the dates on the approval letter.
You must ensure your request contains a complete list of all employees who will be making the trip and the specific purpose for travel. If more than one function is involved in travel, one function should be designated as the lead. The lead function consolidates the list of employees making the trip onto one request. Where this is not possible, the authorization request should at least note another function is involved, and that their request is being sent separately.
Also, you must attach the approval letter to your receipts report and submit both to Back Office Processing for scanning into the eTravel system.
Important: If you do not hold a valid official passport — the one with a red-brown cover — your request must also include an application for an official passport through International Business. Be sure that your request meets U.S. Passport Office requirements.
4-1.3.2 How to Submit Your Request
[Revise the table in 4-1.3.2 to read as follows:]
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[Delete 4-1.3.3.]
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8 While You’re Traveling
8-1 Allowable Expenses
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8-1.9 Trips Home During Extended Travel
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[Insert new 8-1.9.3 to read as follows:]
8-1.9.3 During Extended International Duty Assignments or Details
You may return home every four (4) weeks to conduct necessary personal business that arose while you were overseas. You are only allowed trips to your home or to your permanent duty station. You are not reimbursed for trips to any other location, nor does the approving official approve such trips. The time period for travel to home or permanent duty station is extended to include Friday and Monday so that you have time to conduct business while at home.
Inspection Service seconded (borrowed) employees will follow the internal instructions from the Inspection Service.
Miscellaneous Expenses
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8-1.10.2 For International Travel
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[Add new item h to read as follows:]
h. Reasonable costs associated with laundry and dry cleaning expenses when attending Universal Postal Union (UPU)–sanctioned events and staying at the UPU conference hotel are paid. Laundry and dry cleaning expenses at all other times are not allowed, as this expense is included in your foreign countries per diem rate.
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10 Getting Reimbursed and Repaying Advances
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[Delete the Reminder.]
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed edition of Handbook F-15 and into the next online update available on the Postal Service™ PolicyNet website:
(The direct URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Corporate Accounting,
Controller, 10-23-08
