3 FAH-1 H-3730
VISITATION TRAVEL
(CT:POH-239; 08-13-2020)
(Office of Origin: GTM/ER/WLD)
3 FAH-1 H-3731 CHARGE TO LEAVE
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Time away from post on family visitation, including travel time, is charged to annual leave, sick leave, earned compensatory time off, or leave without pay, as appropriate.
b. Time spent in the United States delays date of home leave eligibility only if the member has not accumulated 18 months of continuous service abroad.
c. See 3 FAM 3430 and 3 FAH-1 H-3430 for computation and reporting requirement.
3 FAH-1 H-3732 SCHEDULING FAMILY VISITATION TRAVEL FROM IMMINENT DANGER AREAS
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/ USAGM/Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Overseas establishments are responsible for scheduling trips so as to ensure the orderly performance of official duties at all times.
b. The chief of the diplomatic mission, in consultation with the representatives of USAID, USAGM, Commerce, and Agriculture will develop uniform rules within the limitations below.
c. To the maximum extent possible, family visitation travel is to be combined with travel required for official purposes. A Foreign Service member’s absence from the country of assignment may not exceed 48 calendar days in one year, including travel time, but exclusive of days on duty or official travel status.
d. Exceptions to the limitations in section 3 FAH-1 H-3732.2 may be made by principal officers and heads of overseas USAID, USAGM, Commerce, and Agriculture establishments, or their designees, for valid and cogent reasons, and provided that post workload and scheduling considerations permit.
3 FAH-1 H-3732.1 To the United States
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM /Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. For purposes of this section a year is defined as starting from the date of evacuation of the member’s family, the date of member’s arrival at overseas post on assignment, or the date of return from home leave.
b. Not more than two round trips to the United States may be authorized during each one-year period.
c. For a fractional part of a year, one trip may be permitted for each full six-month period of service in an imminent danger area.
d. Family visitation trips to family members in the United States may be authorized three months after:
· Family members have been evacuated from the post, or
· The Foreign Service member’s arrival on assignment at a designated post at which family members cannot reside because of hostile activity, or
· Family members located abroad have returned to the United States,
provided that total costs for visitation travel during a year’s period (as defined in section 3 FAH-1 H-3732.1 paragraph a do not exceed the cost of two round trips of less than first-class air travel to the documented place of residence of family members.
e. Family visitation trips to the United States are not permitted within the final three months prior to scheduled transfer (other than unanticipated break in assignment), departure on round-trip home leave orders, or voluntary separation.
f. There will be an interval of at least three months between family visitation trips to the United States.
g. A Foreign Service member’s absence from the country of assignment may not exceed a total of 48 calendar days in one year, including travel time.
h. A member’s absence from country of assignment for each visit to the United States shall normally not exceed 24 calendar days, including travel time.
i. A member will normally be expected to spend a minimum of seven days in the United States.
3 FAH-1 H-3732.2 To Dependents Located Abroad
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM /Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. For purposes of this section, a year is defined as starting from the date of evacuation of the member’s family, the date of the member’s arrival on assignment, or the date of return from home leave.
b. More than two visits to family members located abroad may be permitted during a 1-year period provided they do not exceed the cost of two round trips of less than first-class air travel to the District of Columbia. The following limitations are applicable to such travel:
(1) Visits to family members located outside the United States may be permitted four weeks after:
· Family members have been evacuated from the post, or
· The Foreign Service member’s arrival on assignment at a post at which family members cannot reside
(2) Visits to family members located outside the United States are not permitted within the final four weeks prior to completion of tour, transfer (other than unanticipated break in assignment), departure on round-trip home leave orders, or voluntary separation.
(3) There will be a minimum interval of four weeks between family visitation trips to areas abroad.
(4) Time away from country of assignment to visit family members abroad, including travel time, is not to exceed 48 calendar days during a one-year period.
(5) For a period of less than one year, a Foreign Service member’s absence is not to exceed 48 calendar days divided by the fractional part of one year. The allowable cost for visitation travel during such a period may not exceed the cost of two round trips of less than first-class air travel to the District of Columbia, divided by the fractional part of one year which is based on the planned period of service at post rather than actual service at the time such visitation would commence.
c. Exceptions to these limitations may be made by principal officers and heads of overseas USAID, USAGM, Commerce, and Agriculture establishments, or their designees, for valid and cogent reasons.
3 FAH-1 H-3732.3 Travel by Commercial Facilities
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM /Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Travel by commercial facilities, when required, must be by the most expeditious mode of transportation on a direct route between post of assignment and documented place of residence of family members (SF-1190, Foreign Allowances Application, Grant, and Report) or, if at a lesser cost, other place where family members are located.
b. Indirect travel may be performed only when necessitated by official duties to be performed enroute or when it is advantageous to the Government to purchase the ticket in foreign currency at an intermediate point.
c. Travel normally must be by less than first-class commercial air service.
d. Special fares such as excursion fares and round-trip fares are to be used to the maximum extent possible.
e. American-flag carriers are to be used under the conditions described in 14 FAM 581.4.
3 FAH-1 H-3732.4 Other Expenses
(CT:POH-218; 05-17-2019)
(Uniform State/USAID/USAGM /Commerce/Foreign Service Corps-USDA)
(Applies to Foreign Service Employees Only)
a. Per 14 FAM 568.1, two pieces of checked luggage which weigh up to 50 lbs (23 kgs.) per piece are authorized.
b. No per diem or other expenses are authorized.
3 FAH-1 H-3733 Through 3739 UNASSIGNED