Merge pull request #848 from git/travel-reimbursement-process

Add Travel-Reimbursement-Process.md

Author: chriscool

links/dev/Travel-Reimbursement-Process.md

@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+---
+layout: default
+title: Travel Reimbursement Process
+---
+
+The Git project offers financial assistance to active contributors and
+developers to help them attend key community events, such as
+[the **Git Merge** conference](https://git-merge.com/).
+
+This document outlines the eligibility criteria, application process,
+and reimbursement guidelines.
+
+## 1. Software Freedom Conservancy Policy
+
+First please read the
+[Software Freedom Conservancy Travel and Reimbursable Expense Policy](https://sfconservancy.org/projects/policies/conservancy-travel-policy.html).
+
+As the Git project is part of the Conservancy,
+**you must follow this policy when requesting any reimbursement**.
+
+If you agree with this policy, you are welcome to proceed with the
+next steps.
+
+**Note:** In case the Conservancy's official Policy differs from what
+the guidelines listed on this page, please defer to the Conservancy's
+Policy and let the Git PLC know.
+
+# 2. Estimate Costs & Email the Git PLC
+
+Please send an email to
+[the Git PLC (Project Leadership Committee)](mailto:git@sfconservancy.org)
+with a cost estimate in **USD** for your travel to the conference.
+
+In your estimate you might take into account the fact that the flight
+and hotel costs might increase a bit between now and the conference
+date, but please base it on facts by checking current prices.
+
+Please only include items that the Policy allows us to reimburse (see
+the Conservancy's Policy above) and within the specified limits.
+
+Many conferences like the Git Merge provide meals like lunch,
+breakfast and sometimes dinner. It's nice if you can take this into
+account in your estimate.
+
+Make sure to mention the total cost for a visa if you need one, and
+the total cost for everything (including visa costs).
+
+# 3. Apply for a visa
+
+If we don't reject your estimate and if you need a visa,
+**please start to apply for a visa as soon as possible**.
+It can take a lot of time.
+
+And then let us know when you get a visa or if your visa request is
+rejected. Also please let us know if you can get an estimate of when
+you will know if your visa request is accepted or rejected, or in the
+case you cannot get a visa in time which unfortunately happens quite
+often.
+
+The more we know about your visa process, the better we can help you
+and others. For example if you get an appointment, let us know the
+date and the documents that could help you get a visa then.
+
+# 4. Visa Fees Reimbursement
+
+Don't wait for your sponsorship request to be fully approved to apply
+for a visa if you need one. If you follow these requirements:
+
+- You follow the Conservancy's Policy and really need a visa to travel
+  to the conference.
+- You are a legitimate beneficiary (someone who actually contributed
+  to Git).
+- You ask for travel reimbursement with a reasonable total estimate at
+  a proper time for a strongly Git related conference, like Git Merge.
+- The visa fees you estimate are less than $500 USD and seem
+  justified.
+
+we will reimburse your visa fees even if you don't get a visa. We
+encourage you to apply for a visa soon because unfortunately not
+getting a visa is the most likely thing that might prevent you from
+attending.
+
+# 5. Request approval timeline
+
+We cannot fully approve most requests right away, because there is a
+risk, even if that never happened in the past, that we get too many
+valid requests that we cannot all satisfy.
+
+When a Git related conference is announced, we prefer to leave some
+time for people to apply, and then, after that time passed, decide for
+all those who applied during that time.
+
+This shouldn't prevent you from applying for a visa soon (see the
+above section).
+
+This means that we usually accept late applications. If you decide
+late that you would like to go and need financial assistance, please
+apply even if it's late. Don't apply though if it's too late and you
+cannot for example get a visa in time.
+
+When we approve your request, you will receive an email from us saying
+it's approved. Don't start booking anything that is not visa related,
+especially not flights, before you receive that email.
+
+# 6. Visa Documentation Support
+
+When your request has been fully approved, the Conservancy will be
+able to provide official **Sponsorship Letter**. This is a letter
+saying that we approved to reimburse your travel costs for up to a
+certain amount. It might help you with your visa process.
+
+The Git PLC itself cannot provide an invitation letter to the
+conference though, as it is not organizing the conference even if
+individual PLC members may participate in these activities through
+their affiliations with other organizations.
+
+Please don't ask the PLC for things related to the conference, like an
+invitation letter, how to submit a talk, how to get a free ticket to
+the conference, etc. Instead, please first take a look at the
+conference website and if you don't find the information there, find
+the organizers (they usually announce the conference on the mailing
+list) and email them directly (without us in Cc).
+
+# 7. Visa and Request Approvals
+
+When we approve your request and you need a visa, we will usually say
+that:
+
+- we approve to reimburse you for the visa fees up to a certain
+  amount, and
+
+- if you can get a visa, we approve to reimburse you for the whole
+  travel up to a certain amount.
+
+This is because we don't want as much as possible to waste flight and
+hotel booking money when people don't get a visa, which unfortunately
+happens quite often these days.
+
+In some cases already having flight tickets and hotel bookings could
+help you with the visa process. In these cases, please email us and
+convince us that chances are high that you will get a visa if you can
+book the flight tickets in advance (before you get a visa). Also try
+to find flights tickets and hotel bookings that are at least partially
+reimbursible, so that everything is not lost in case you cannot get a
+visa.
+
+It's your responsibility to find and provide us with documents,
+estimates and good arguments to convince us that you have a good
+chance of getting a visa if you can book in advance.
+
+# 8. Booking Guidelines
+
+Please take another look at the Conservancy's Policy just before or
+while booking.
+
+Note especially the documentation requirements, including a record of
+your flight search cost.
+
+Note that you're free to stay extra days at your own expense, as long
+as the flight cost is comparable.
+
+We reimburse only the expenses occuring during the time when the
+conference happens, or maybe a bit before and after it if all the
+reasonnable travel options force you to stay later or arrive earlier.
+
+Also please take another look at the hotel rates policy, since some of
+the options near the conference venue might be on the expensive side.
+
+# 9. GSoC Mentor Summit
+
+If you mentor someone working on Git for the Google Summer of Code,
+you might apply and be selected by the Git mentors and org admins to
+be a Git delegate at the GSoC Mentor Summit organized by Google.
+
+Usually only one primary delegate is automatically accepted by
+Google. One or more secondary delegates might be accepted by going
+through a waitlist.
+
+If you are selected to be a Git delegate and accepted by Google, the
+Git PLC will reimburse your travel in a similar way as for Git
+developers going to a conference.
+
+The difference is that Google is usually providing a significant
+amount of money to the Git project for the primary delegate and a
+smaller amount for the secondary delegate. If you are among them and
+your travel cost would be less than the corresponding amount provided
+by Google, you can consider that the Git project will reimburse your
+travel costs. In other words, you don't need to send a request to the
+Git PLC.
+
+Please consider the following though:
+
+- Google usually provide food and lodging free of charges during the
+  whole Mentor Summit, so in most cases you shouldn't need to ask for
+  such reimbursements. You should mostly ask for your flight (or maybe
+  car, bus or train) costs to be reimbursed.
+
+- Contact us and the Git GSoC org admins as soon as possible before
+  booking flights if you are not sure you will get a visa in time, or
+  if you are not sure to go to the Mentor Summit for other
+  reasons. Note that Google provides us money for your travel only if
+  you actually go to the Mentor Summit, and we might be able to send
+  someone else at the last moment.
+
+- If you are not sure that your travel costs will be less than what
+  Google provides us, please send us a regular request as soon as
+  possible.
+
+# 10. Submitting for Actual Reimbursement
+
+When you want to get reimbursed, please take another look at the
+Conservancy's Policy for the exact submission steps. It usually
+requires you to send an email
+**directly to a Conservancy email address**, not to
+the Git PLC, though it's fine if you put the Git PLC in Cc.
+

links/mentoring/common/Mentoring-Program-Guide.md

@@ -627,7 +627,8 @@ We try to help successful participants come to the
 [Git Merge conference](https://git-merge.com/)
 and meet the community, often including their mentor(s), there. For
 that the Git project offers to reimburse the participants' travel
-expenses.
+expenses. See
+[the dedicated page](https://git.github.io/Travel-Reimbursement-Process).
 
 This is sometimes not possible due to visa issues, or the fact that
 the Git Merge unfortunately doesn't happen every year, though.