Request for Higher Risk International Travel
UNO aligns its international travel safety, compliance, and approval requirements directly with the system-wide mandates in Executive Memorandums 25 and 46 (EM 25 and EM 46).
EMs 25 and 46 contain University of Nebraska system-wide policies that affect student, staff, and faculty travel. EMs 25 and 46 both feature a list of "foreign countries of concern." Travel to any of the following countries is currently subject to separate approval processes under both EMs:
Belarus; the Central African Republic; the People's Republic of China (including the Hong Kong and the Macau Special Administrative Regions); Cuba; the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea); the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Iran; Myanmar; Russia; South Sudan; Sudan; Syria; and Venezuela.
In addition to "foreign countries of concern," the EM 25 policy governs international travel to countries based on their U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory level, and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel Health Notice levels.
Compliance under EM 46 specifically includes travel to any country that appears on the above list of "foreign countries of concern." Travelers to these destinations must request approval by the University of Nebraska's Office of the President. Please direct any inquiries about EM 46 to Erica Shipman, Director of Research Compliance, at eshipman@unomaha.edu
Compliance under EM 25 includes submitting a Petition to Travel to a Higher Risk Destination for travel to any country that appears on the above list of "foreign countries of concern" AND/OR to higher risk destinations as described below.
- U.S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Travel Health Notice (THN) at level 3, 4, or Unknown
International Programs (INPR) oversees approval of travel that falls under Executive Memorandum 25. The primary goal of this procedure is to promote decisions and practices to help mitigate health and safety concerns in the ever-changing global environment.
The following process has been developed to assess travel to high-risk destinations.
UNO Employees
- University employees should submit their request for travel in the Firefly system to trigger the routing and approval process. To start a travel request, login to Firefly and click on the Travel and Expense Reporting icon under the Business Applications section.
- Following supervisor and financial approvals, International Programs (INPR) will conduct an initial risk assessment.
- If a travel destination is deemed to fall under the umbrella of EM 25, INPR will provide the traveler with the details needed to submit the Petition to Travel to a Higher Risk Destination.
- Once a traveler has submitted the Petition request, the information will be reviewed by UNO's International Travel Risk Committee (ITRC). The ITRC will consider the essential nature of the travel, the ability of the traveler to mitigate risk as described in their request, and will refer to relevant resources to complete an assessment of the health conditions and safety status of the proposed travel destination.
- After review, the ITRC will forward the petition to the Chancellor's Office with a classification of "recommended" or "not recommended."
- After hearing back from the Chancellor, the ITRC will notify the employee of the status of their travel request. If travel has been approved, the traveler may proceed with finalizing their travel arrangements.
UNO Students
- Students notify Education Abroad of their intent to travel and will apply through the MavsAbroad Portal (MAP).
- After their application is accepted, International Programs (INPR) will conduct an initial risk assessment and will inform the traveler if their destination requires additional approval.
- Each student requesting travel to a higher risk area will submit a Petition to Travel to a Higher Risk Destination to be reviewed by the International Travel Risk Committee.
- After review, the petition will be forwarded to the Chancellor's Office with a "recommended" or "not recommended" classification.
- Chancellor approves or denies the petition. Students will receive a final notification of their travel status from Education Abroad.
Pre-approval Considerations
- The traveler should consult the CDC and State Department websites for destination-specific information including Advisory levels and Travel Health Notices.
- The traveler should also review and be prepared to comply with entry and exit requirements for the airlines, their proposed destination, and reentry into the US. Entry and exit requirements are subject to change at any time.
Additional Considerations
- Voluntary Participation: All travel activities are strictly voluntary. Travelers assume full responsibility for all personal safety and financial risks.
- Emergency Limitations: In a crisis, the university's capacity to provide emergency assistance or resources may be limited. Travelers must accept the risk of being delayed abroad by local health regulations or travel restrictions.
- Right to Recall: The university reserves the right to revoke travel approval or mandate an immediate return from high-risk locations at any time.
- No Financial Commitments Prior to Approval: Submitting a travel waiver request does not guarantee university approval. Travelers must not make nonrefundable deposits or payments until they receive an official decision on their travel petition.
Submission Timeline
Petitions should be completed well in advance before preferred travel dates to allow for proposal review by the committee and enough time to complete travel and logistics planning. Proposals submitted on short notice may not allow for ample review and planning time, if approved.
Upon petition approval, the process of purchasing airline tickets and other travel arrangements for employees should be completed using Firefly.