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International Travel

Information for faculty and staff traveling abroad.

Texas Executive Order GA-48

Governor Abbott issued an executive order (GA-48) on November 19, 2024 relating to the hardening of state government. The order directs state agencies and Texas higher education institutions to “harden state systems and safeguard critical infrastructure, intellectual property and personal information from being accessed by hostile foreign nations that attempt to infiltrate Texas.” Employees of UT Tyler cannot accept gifts or travel reimbursements from the foreign adversaries country's. 

Current foreign adversaries listed in GA-48 are:

  • People's Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China)
  • The Democratic People's Republic of North Korea (North Korea)
  • The Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran)
  • The Republic of Cuba (Cuba)
  • The Russian Federation (Russia)
  • The Venezuelan politician Nicolás Maduro

Pursuant to Executive Order GA-48, all UT Tyler faculty and staff must adhere to the following requriements: 

Professional Travel

Work travel to adversary nations is generally prohibited with two exceptions:

(1) if the U.S. federal grant expressly provides for travel to that nation, and

(2) in rare cases if the travel is deemed to be high priority, as determined by UT Tyler leadership in consultation with The University of Texas System.

For either travel exception, gift funds remain the only appropriate funding source. All requests to travel should be routed through the standard process listed below. Travelers, including faculty, staff, and students, will not be reimbursed for expenses from unapproved travel. 

Personal Travel

UT Tyler faculty and staff must notify the institution of any personal travel, including layovers, to the foreign adversary countries listed above. The information is being collected specifically to comply with the order and will be retained according to records retention laws.  Based on the information you provide, you may contacted with additional questions.

 

International Travel Procedure

All UT Tyler faculty and staff traveling internationally on behalf of the university must follow established policies and procedures to ensure a safe and successful trip. Comprehensive resources, forms, and guidance are provided to help you plan your travel, including details on travel requests, insurance coverage, and risk management for high-risk destinations.

 

  • The U.S. Department of State provide information on safety and security risks, passport, visa and vaccination requirements, local laws, money matters, and health, safety, and security.  If you are not a U.S. citizen, check directly with the country’s consulate in the U.S. for visa information.
  • Health information can be obtained by visiting the CDC for health and medical risks.

 

Review whether your destination is considered high risk and requires approval from the International Oversight Committee (IOC). If your destination is high risk, you must submit the following:

 

The International Oversight Committe (IOC) is responsible for reviewing and approving all University-sponsored travel to areas of High Risk as required by UT System 190 International Travel Policy. 

This includes travel to locations where:

  • the U.S. State Department has issued a Travel Advisory Level 4:  Do Not Travel or Level 3:  Reconsider Travel. 
  • the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its highest Travel Health Notice Level advising against travel; or
  • the IOC has deemed significant health, safety, or security risks are present.

 

All international travel for university business requires submission of a travel request using the link below. 

International Travel Request Form

 

Pre-Departure, Safety, and Security

 

Register your travel with the U.S. Department of State using the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). STEP allows you to enter information about your upcoming trip abroad so that the U.S. Department of State can better assist you in an emergency. STEP also allows Americans residing abroad to get routine information from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. If you are not a U.S. citizen, follow the guidance provided by your country of citizenship.

 

All employees and students traveling abroad on behalf of the University must register their trip with On Call International (On Call) and obtain employee travel authorization prior to departure. On Call is UT System’s travel and emergency assistance provider for all UT System institutions. On Call offers on-the-ground support, local expertise, preventative advice, and emergency assistance during critical illness, accident, civil unrest, or evacuation and repatriation.  Available services are listed below.

 

Registration for destinations booked through Anthony Travel or Corporate Travel Planners is automatic and no additional action is required.

To register destinations ticketed through an alternate source, the traverler must register their travel with On Call. 

  1. Forward your booking confirmation emails for flight and/or lodging to trips@oncallinternational.com. If you are not using your UT Tyler email, ensure you identify as a UT Tyler employee in the email.
  2. When On Call receives your trip information, it will be entered in their Travel Monitoring platform, which is powered by OnSolve: 
  • Dependent upon the risk rating of your destination, you may receive a pre-travel advisory email with standing health and safety advice
  • You will be registered to receive critical incident alerts via email if any are issued for your destination shortly before your trip, or while you are traveling.
  • You will be registered to use the OnSolve Risk Intelligence application and receive an emailed invitation to download it. In order to optimize usage of the app, use the recommended settings found in the Mobile App User Guide
  • Emails will deliver from OCI Alerts with an @stabilitas.io or @onsolve.com email domain, we suggest you take a moment to mark these as safe senders

 

Please note that although you will register your trip itinerary with On Call, your coverage period is calculated based on the official activity dates authorized by the University (Example: conference first and last date).

Log into the On Call Plan Information Portal with the UT Group ID 100143CPPD21 to learn more about the services and benefits available to you, gain access to pre-trip resources, find claim instructions, and access the Global Risk Intelligence site for country specific health, safety and cultural information and advice.

 

The team of security experts at On Call offers analysis on risks that exist in the region, local expertise, and preventative advice.  Program leaders and travelers can request a pre-departure risk and safety trip review. Complete a Pre-Trip Itinerary Review request and it will automatically submit a request to the On Call Security Team.

 

Download the On Solve smartphone app: Apple Store | Google Play Store 

Ensure you always have access to On Call contact and plan information in the easiest place to get it - on your phone. Click Plan ID from your mobile device and follow single prompt to save to the home screen of your phone.

This is not an app and does not require any login or personal details. Opening the Plan ID from your mobile device will allow you to click-to-dial On Call, open a 24/7 Live Chat link and access other plan documents such as the full plan description and tele-counseling information.  

 

Contact the On Call International Global Response Center via phone, live chat or email. Identify yourself as a UT Tyler faculty, staff, or student.

If you need medical or security-related advice or assistance at any time while abroad, contact:

  • On Call International from US or Canada at 1-833-328-1091
  • From anywhere else in the world call 1-978-651-9722
  • Or call UT Tyler Police Department at 1-903-566-7300

Depending on the nature and severity of your situation, On Call International can pay for your medical care and/or other services, or you may need to pay yourself and file a claim for reimbursement. Questions about overseas insurance and filing a claim should be directed to On Call International.

For more information on On Call and overseas insurance: www.myoncallportal.com.

       

 

Employees traveling internationally must follow IT protocols regarding university devices: HSC Campus employees must request loaner devices for all international travel, while Main Campus employees must do so only when traveling to restricted countries; in both cases, devices must not be reconnected to the network upon return and must be wiped by IT.
For full details, refer to Policy 9.29 Safeguarding Data: International Travel.