Travel & Immigration

Faculty & Staff

For more detailed information on the the College's international travel policy for faculty and staff, travel insurance and trip preparation guidelines, please visit the Office of Risk Management website.

Please note the following:

• The interpretation and administration of this policy shall be the responsibility of the Office of Risk Management and the Office of the Provost and Dean of the College.
• This policy does not apply to personal travel and is in addition to the travel and expense reimbursement policy.
• This policy does not cover period of unpaid leave.

The College's international travel policy covers international travel that is defined as travel:

• That is either fully or partially financially supported by the College (regardless of original funding source);
• When an individual is serving as a representative of the College; and
• That is required to fulfill degree requirements.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Traveling on College business when the activity is supported by College funds including money derived from the College’s operating budget, grants, gifts, etc.
• Traveling to promote the College’s mission and scholarly profile (e.g. serving as a speaker at international conference)

Travel to Extreme Risk Locations (Level 3 or 4)

The College will not fund, award credit for, or otherwise sponsor or support any international travel in any country or location within a country for which:

• The U.S. State Department (DOS) has issued travel advisories of level 3 or 4;
• The Office of Foreign Assets and Control (OFAC) has imposed economic or trade sanctions;
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued travel health notices warning level 3 (avoid non-essential travel)
• International travel to a city and country prohibited by the College’s insurance company  

However, if you require an exception to travel to a high risk (level 3 or level 4) country, you must complete and submit the International Travel Approval Form (Faculty/Staff). Keep in mind that the Travel Approval form is an electronic document that must be routed to the appropriate signees -- including your department chair. In addition to this form, the Office of Risk Management may require additional information and forms as part of the review process. 

For information about the travel form or the e-routing process, please contact OIA.

For information about the international travel policy for faculty/staff, please contact Risk Manager, Tom Kaplan (kaplan@tc.edu), the Risk Manager in the Office of Risk Management.

Expense Reimbursement

If you are a TC faculty member or administrator traveling on college-related business, please see the OIA Travel Handbook for more information. Per Accounts Payable, please note the following deadlines regarding expense reimbursements:

• Domestic Business Expense reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Accounts Payable Department for processing within 90 days after the completion of the event or travel to receive a non-taxable reimbursement. Kindly note that because the College is required to comply with the federal government’s regulations governing non-taxable employee’s business expenses, requests submitted after 90 days will be reimbursed but will be taxed and reported as income, as they do not meet the College’s Accountable Plan criteria.
• International Business Expense reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Accounts Payable Department for processing within 90 days after the completion of the event or travel to receive a non-taxable reimbursement. Kindly note that because the College is required to comply with the federal government’s regulations governing non-taxable employee’s business expenses, requests submitted after 90 days will be reimbursed but will be taxed and reported as income, as they do not meet the College’s Accountable Plan criteria.

For more information, please contact Accounts Payable.

Students & Groups

For more detailed information on the the College's international travel policy for students and groups, please visit the website for the Office of Risk Management (ORM). Please keep in mind that the College does not cover international student-led group trips. Please refer to the Policy for International Travel for policies relevant to travel to an extreme location (level 3 and 4).

All students who must travel internationally for work related to their graduate studies must:

1. Notify ORM at least 60 days in advance of departure by submitting all required documents to the attention of Risk Manager, Tom Kaplan (kaplan@tc.edu). Please see below for a list of required documents.
2. Register the trip on Columbia University Global Travel “ISOS MY TRIPS.  ISOS is the global health, travel, and safety gateway for the College. Log onto Columbia University Global Travel “ISOS MY TRIPS to create your profile. You will have access to the membership card and any information relating to your travel. By taking this step, you enable ISOS (CU and TC) to send you important messages about medical and security concerns, as well as instructions for how to proceed during an emergency.

Student Travel Forms

As noted above, all students traveling must complete and submit the following forms to the attention of Risk Manager, Tom Kaplan (kaplan@tc.edu): 

• International Travel Form (Student/Group)*
• Emergency Contact and Medical Information Form
• Release and Authorization Form
• Itinerary Report

The International Travel Preliminary Form (Student/Group) is an electronic form that must be routed to relevant signees in the College. The travel form has space to attach your emergency contact and itinerary documents as well.

Please reach out to us (internationalaffairs@tc.columbia.edu) to initate this procedure.

Faculty-led Group Travel

Faculty leading group study tours or other overseas group trips must obtain the following from all participants:

• Emergency Contact and Medical Information Form
• Release and Authorization Form
• Itinerary Report
• List of tour participants

All documents should be submitted to the attention of Risk Manager, Tom Kaplan (kaplan@tc.edu).

For immediate help and assistance with international student and scholar support, please reach out to the Office of International Students and Scholars.

For travel requirements for re-entering the U.S., please click here.

Free or low-cost immigration legal help is available from a number of organizations in New York:

• The Immigration Advocates Nonprofit Resource Center also provides a list of immigration legal services in New York 
• New York City provides “free, safe immigration help at ActionNYC (or call the ActionNYC hotline at 1-800- 354-0365 during business hours Monday to Friday)

Many other organizations provide important timely information about the evolving immigration situation and the rights of immigrants:

• American Civil Liberties Union 
• Catholic Legal Immigration 
• Immigration Legal Resource Center 
• National Immigration Law Center