Traveling internationally and not sure what documents might be required? Zendesk partners with Erickson Immigration Group (EIG) for business traveler visa assistance, and our People & Places team can help with a visa letter to prove business necessity, as needed. Should you require a business traveler visa for your trip, we encourage you to plan as far ahead as possible due to potential visa processing delays.
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How to Plan Travel When Awaiting a Visa
Visa Considerations
Please keep in mind that not everyone has a passport that offers flexibility of travel across the Zendesk footprint at any point in time. Some individuals may need to secure a visa in order to enter a particular country. Therefore, when it comes to event planning, the more advanced notice provided, the better. Doing so will increase the likelihood that everyone invited to an event can attend. Considerations for last minute events:
- We are still seeing lingering COVID impacts from when consulates were closed or minimally staffed, meaning wait times for appointments can be upwards of 3-4 months.
- Generally speaking expedited appointment requests are not possible. In the eyes of many immigration agencies, business travel is a nice-to-have not a need-to-have.
Should your business travel be into the US or certain European Countries, you can find general information on visa requirements and step by step overview of the visa application process in the Global Mobility team's article Global - General Visa Overview for Business Travel. Otherwise, we encourage you to consider leveraging EIG for visa assistance.
Visa Assistance
Zendesk’s preferred vendor is Erickson Immigration Group (EIG) for visa matters, but it is not mandatory for employees to apply for their visas through EIG.
We have also historically suggested CIBT as a vendor for visa matters, however, we do not have a direct relationship with CIBT and thus are limited in case visibility and accountability measures.
As neither vendor is required for use, employees can apply independently or other external vendors can be utilized and reimbursed for as long as managers are kept informed of the costs associated in advance.
Start here: Zendesk Business Traveler EIG Assessment and Visa Initiation Tool
Once you access the assessment tool and complete the form. EIG will be able to provide a thorough assessment of your visa requirement and next steps to your business travel destination. Please note that you should obtain your manager approval to proceed with this assessment as you will be required to upload their approval via the form.
Email support: zendesk@eiglaw.com
Zendesk Global Traveler CIBT Website
US Customer Care: 800-929-2428
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday; 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (EST)
24/7 Email Support: customerservice@cibtvisas.com
Helpful tips:
- Use the CIBT widget to determine if there is a path for the trip and what documents will be needed. Information needed: country of passport and place/state of residence.
- Use the passport tab for all renewals, first time passports, or 2nd passports (available to US citizens)
- Use Guided Entry program for complicated trips requiring visas or multiple international destinations on one trip. GE is a concierge service, where CIBT personally walks you through the entire process. (Higher cost; only use as necessary)
- Passports must be valid for 6 months after the last day of planned trip. Passport must have 4 open pages.
Egencia has a CIBT integration to provide visa recommendations based on your itinerary. However, the integration does not provide advice on visas for connections/layovers; it is provided only for the final destination. If you have an international connection, you will want to check with CIBT or EIG if a visa is required (for example, this has recently been an issue with layovers in Canada).
India-specific Visa Vendors
The vendors listed below have previously been leveraged by other employees on a personal basis. The vendors have not formally been vetted or endorsed by Zendesk, however, they are being shared as crowdsourced information intended to assist employees. Any engagement with these vendors is at your own risk and discretion. We recommend that you exercise due diligence when considering the use of these vendors. Zendesk does not guarantee the quality or reliability of services provided.
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Visa Republic
- Contact information: https://visarepublic.in/
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TourDglobe Pvt Ltd
- Contact information: tourdglobepvt@gmail.com
Zendesk Visa Letter
Note: The below is only applicable if you are not using EIG to assist with your visa application. When using EIG for your visa application, they will facilitate obtaining your visa letter.
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- Details of your business travel: destination location, dates of travel, reason for travel, etc.
- Confirmation of the business travel detail from your manager or above
- A copy of your passport bio page
Please kindly plan for an SLA of 5 business days from the moment our team receives all the correct paperwork and approvals to issue you any business travel-related letters.
Proof of Insurance
If you need to show proof of insurance, please refer to the People Ops page below for the most up-to-date travel assistance information: Global - Chubb Travel Assistance Program
Expensing Visa Costs
Per our global Travel & Expense Policy, costs for visas, passports and other travel documentation are reimbursable if required for Zendesk business travel. Please ensure your manager is aware of the cost as part of your T&E budget for the trip, and once purchased submit via Expensify for reimbursement.
How to Plan Travel When Awaiting a Visa
If possible, we recommend waiting to book airfare until you have a confirmed visa. Do not book a refundable flight, as they are rarely cost effective. If your visa application requires you to have a flight booked, please discuss with your manager to make the best decision based on the event and your visa timeline.
For hotels, we recommend booking a refundable hotel rate in the case you should need to cancel.
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