What is PiAf’s Travel Restrictions Policy?

Fellows must adhere to PiAf’s Travel Restrictions Policy.

Please note that Princeton in Africa (PiAf) has specific travel policies and restrictions in place for our Fellows. As of March 1, 2022, Princeton in Africa advises that Fellows MUST NOT travel to or through:

• (1) Any country with a S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisory of Level 4 “Do not travel” (see here for more info)

• (2) Any country with a S. Department of State (DOS) Travel Advisory of Level 3 “Reconsider travel” provided that the higher rating is based on any factors besides COVID-19. Travel to countries in this category shall require review and approval by staff in advance of any travel (see here for more info) UNLESS PiAf and the fellow have agreed to an exempted fellowship placement within a Level 3 country under the terms of section III.

• (3) Any city or region specifically designated as “Do not travel” or “Reconsider travel” within the country’s S. Department of State Travel Advisory OR any city or region where travel restrictions are in place for U.S. government personnel (see here for more info) UNLESS PiAf and the fellow have agreed to an exempted fellowship placement under the terms of section III.

• (4) Any country which has a S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Level 3 warning for diseases other than COVID-19 (see here for more info) or a CDC Level 4 warning.

Exceptions:

(5) The first exception to 1-4 above is when Fellows are traveling to/from their fellowship host country to begin or end their onsite fellowships or to/from the PiAf retreat, they may transit through U.S. Department of State Level 4 countries or U.S. CDC Level 4 countries ONLY if the Level 4 is due solely to COVID-19, and ONLY if Fellows do not leave the airport and if their transit time through the Level 4 country does not exceed 24 hours. Transit through U.S. Department of State Level 3 or 4 countries should only occur if there is no reasonable Transit through U.S. Department of State Level 3 or 4 countries whose levels are due to reasons other than COVID-19 is not permitted.

(6) The second exception to 1-4 above is when Fellows have agreed to a fellowship placement at a host site within a Level 3 country that has been specially vetted and approved under section III of this policy. Fellows in this circumstance are allowed to travel within PiAf-approved areas within their host country during the period of their fellowship. This travel approval may be amended, restricted, or rescinded at any time due to changing in-country conditions at the sole discretion of PiAf. This travel approval applies only to the assigned Fellow, and not to any visiting Fellows from other countries.

I.  Additional Specific Travel Restrictions & Clarifications:

• All travel to refugee camps or settlements, with the exception of a camp that is also considered the primary location of a fellowship post, as agreed upon by PiAf and the host organization, is restricted. Under certain limited circumstances, upon advance written request, PiAf may authorize travel to certain locations in this subparagraph A.
  
• Travel Restriction Policy applies to all travel during the fellowship year, including, but not limited to, travel to the host country at the onset of the fellowship and departure from the host country at the close of the fellowship. Restrictions apply equally to both transit countries and final destinations.
• Further advisories may be provided by PiAf, during the fellowship year due to staff or the board’s concern for the safety of our Fellows as well as the potential limitations of our insurance provider in assisting Fellows with medical emergencies, medical evacuations or safety evacuations in countries outside of their fellowship post.
• Travel to any country or location listed above will result in the immediate termination of a fellowship with no right of refund or other Fellows are responsible for remaining updated on all DOS, CDC & PiAf advisories, warnings and restrictions. PiAf reserves the right to request that Fellows alter travel plans that are not in compliance with our policies, without compensation to the Fellow.
• Any additional costs incurred due to travel shall be the responsibility of the Fellow, including any testing or quarantine-related costs.
• Note that PiAf’s travel restrictions may not cover country or regional travel restrictions due to COVID-19 or otherwise, including country restrictions against travelers from specific locations.

II. Waivers

(A) For countries or regions categorized as Level 3 “Reconsider travel” due to reasons outside of COVID-19 by the DOS and for refugee camps or settlements, PiAf will consider work-related waiver requests only if the travel is central to the Fellow’s work and if the supervisor submits a travel request form that provides detailed information about the travel arrangements and risk Waiver requests must be made at least 2 weeks in advance of travel. Each Fellow will be granted no more than five such travel restriction waivers over the course of their fellowship.

(B) Waivers will not be considered for personal travel nor for countries or regions categorized as Level 4 “Do not travel,” unless it is for travel to a Fellow’s primary country of residence. A primary country of residence is defined as the Fellow’s permanent address as listed in the Fellow’s VITALS form and/or the Fellow’s country of permanent residence. Such waivers are granted on a limited basis and are intended only as a means for Fellows to visit immediate family.

III. Site-Specific Assessment and Approval of Fellowship Sites within Level 3 Countries

(A) In rare cases, PiAf may consider fellowship placements within countries or regions categorized as Level 3 “Reconsider travel” due to reasons outside of COVID-19 by the In such cases, PiAf will conduct a thorough site-specific assessment of safety and security conditions.

(B) Mandatory criteria to be considered in the site-specific assessment will include:

• International SOS rating of the locality (must be rated medium risk or lower; localities rated high risk will not be approved)
• Current presence of other volunteer-sending organizations in the locality; volunteers from the U.S. Peace Corps, Fulbright program, UN Volunteers, Global Health Corps, or other similar international volunteer organizations must be present in the locality during the time of the assessment (localities with no current presence of other international volunteer organizations will not be approved)
• Host organization’s assessment of local safety and security conditions, host organization’s health and safety policies, and host organization’s emergency plans

(C) Secondary criteria which may be considered in the site-specific assessment could include:

• Safety reports from the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
• Travel advisories from other national governments (e.g., U.K. government, Australian government, European Union)
• Cultural Insurance Services International Advisory

(D) The PiAf Health, Safety and Security Committee, in close consultation with PiAf staff, will review the safety assessment information collected above and will make a determination on-site approval. For any approved sites under this section, the Health, Safety and Security Committee will also set applicable restrictions on Fellow in-country travel or activities.  All placement approvals will be subject to amendment, restriction, or rescinding, based on changing security conditions.

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