slac travel

SLAC welcomes thousands of visitors each year from around the world. In addition to hosting scientists who come to conduct research at our facilities, SLAC holds a variety of events, including public lectures and scientific conferences.

General Info for Visiting SLAC

For general information on visiting SLAC, such as maps & directions , site entry requirements , accommodations and transportation , please visit the "Coming to SLAC" website.

Find out more on the "Coming to SLAC" website

Info for International Visitors

Site entry requirements.

Upon arrival to SLAC, non-US citizens must bring their valid original passport and applicable visa with any immigration documentation supporting the visa status and/or renewals.

Visit the Foreign Nationals page for more info

If your country does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), you must obtain a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourist) visa before entering the US. Please note that obtaining a B-1 or B-2 visa can be a lengthy process, so begin the process of obtaining a visa soon.

About the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

Info on B-1 and B-2 visas

Reimbursements

All reimbursements for travel must adhere to both DOE and Stanford University policies and guidelines or the travel expenses may not be reimbursable.

Visitor information for travel basics

More info on visitor travel reimbursement at SLAC

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• Emergency info

© 2024 SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

Travel Card Policy and Procedures

Directorate/Department: Business Services

Functional Category:  Business/Finance

Policy Author/Contact:  Controller

View Permission:  SLAC-only

Last Updated:  Monday, October 4, 2021

The SLAC Travel Card (T-Card) is a JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) MasterCard used for travel-related business transactions. Travel Cards (T-Cards) are the required method of payment for booking official business travel on behalf of SLAC. Travel expenses charged to the SLAC T-Card are paid directly by SLAC to JPMC. The T-Card is a safe and easy-to-use payment method. It can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted and reduces the need for reimbursements with respect to allowable expenses.

Policy URL (login required):

Travel Card Policy and Procedures (PDF)

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Foreign Nationals

Entry requirements for foreign nationals.

SLAC supports an atmosphere of free intellectual exchange and collaboration within the international scientific and technical community. Visitors from around the world perform a vital role in sustaining the creative environment and contribute to achieving SLAC's mission. As a Department of Energy (DOE) facility, SLAC is required to comply with the Unclassified Foreign National Access Program (UFNAP) , DOE Order 142.3B.

New Requirements:

Beginning Feb. 1, 2019, the Department of Energy (DOE) requires that all foreign nationals (non-U.S. citizens) looking to conduct work on-site or remote at SLAC must provide their curriculum vitae (CV).

• The CV must chronologically list all academic institutions and work positions, including science and technology activities and specialties, with no gaps in time since college (Associates/Bachelors or equivalent).
• CVs should not contain social security or passport number or any other personal identifying information.
• CVs will be uploaded to the DOE’s Foreign Access Central Tracking System (FACTS). By submitting this information, you consent to SLAC providing this information to the DOE.
• Please also indicate immigration status and be prepared to provide a printed copy of the CV and all required immigration documents (green card, passport, etc.) upon arrival at SLAC.

Prior to Planning Travel to SLAC – New Requirements

Additional steps must be completed prior to arrival for foreign nationals from certain countries.

• Foreign nationals who are not US citizens and were born in, are citizens of, or represent or have ongoing affiliations with Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Syria must provide additional information, including a strong justification, to be considered for access to SLAC. Advance federal review and approval is required before individuals are permitted access to the Laboratory (including remote IT access; this process can take longer than 12 months.
• Foreign nationals who are not US citizens and were born in, are citizens of, or represent or have ongoing affiliations with certain other countries may have requirements for advance approval depending on the nature of the work or visit to SLAC.  For these countries, advanced approval is not required if you are only attending a public tour or a public event.

Please ask your SLAC point of contact and work with the International Services Office for more information before making arrangements to travel to SLAC.

Arrival and Check-in at SLAC – New Requirements

• Admittance onto site must take place during weekday business hours Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Evening and weekend check-in is no longer available.
• Due to the new requirements, time to complete processing upon arrival will take longer. You are strongly encouraged to plan for a minimum of four hours processing time before being permitted access to destination onsite or for beam time. Providing complete information to your host in advance and having all required documents on hand will reduce the chance of additional delays.
• Non-US citizens must bring their valid original passport and applicable visa with all immigration documentation supporting the visa status and/or renewals.
• Provide a printed copy of their curriculum vitae (CV) chronologically listing all academic institutions and work positions, including science and technology activities and specialties, with no gaps in time since college (Associates/Bachelors or equivalent).

Please click on the link below to view a list of documents you must bring depending on your visa type.

Foreign Visitors: Documents Required for Check-in at SLAC (PDF)  

Users and Invited Visitors

Visa sponsorship.

If you have been invited to SLAC to participate in collaborative research or conduct work at SLAC (including participation in SLAC-program-sponsored experiments at SSRL, LCLS, FACET or the Test Facilities) and require immigration sponsorship, in order to initiate the immigration process you will need to contact the SLAC International Services Office at least 60 days before your intended travel dates. The ISO can provide guidance to you on the appropriate visa and processing times, and will advise you what information and/or documentation will be needed from you.

Travel and Expense Reimbursement

Because SLAC is a national laboratory supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), we must follow the regulations of the DOE and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) relating to reimbursement of travel expenses. Visitors who are not U.S. citizens or US lawful permanent residents (a.k.a. "green card holders"), please refer to Foreign Visitors: Documents Required for Check-in at SLAC .

Travel Reimbursement Guidelines

SLAC International Services Office

SLAC's ISO provides visa and immigration services to our international visitors and employees, representing over 80 countries around the globe.

The team helps facilitate the visa process for employees and affiliates, and provides expert advice to foreign nationals, division management, and HR partners. We assist with preparing documents necessary to gain and maintain legal status in the US, including nonimmigrant and permanent residency status; serve as a resource on immigration issues and concerns; partner with Laboratory Counsel; and consult with external legal counsel on complex immigration issues.

The team is located in the VUE Center and is here to help if you have questions regarding appropriate visas and documentation for your visit to SLAC. Contact: [email protected]

As SLAC administers its visa and immigration services under the Stanford Bechtel International Center programs, we encourage you to visit their site where you will find more detailed information about the visa programs for visitors and employees, as well as workshops available to international students and scholars:

• Stanford Bechtel International Center
• Guide for J-1 Exchange Visitors

Guide for H-1B Employees

Note : SLAC is considered a “department” of Stanford in this respect.

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Loans & Hardship Distributions

Main navigation, my retirement savings, contact the university hr service team.

The  University HR Service Team  is available to assist you with questions about your retirement benefits provided by Stanford or how to enroll or make changes to your elections.

As a participant in the Stanford Contributory Retirement Plan (SCRP), you may be eligible to take a loan from your account balance held in Fidelity and Vanguard funds. Loans give you the opportunity to borrow from your account balance, and then repay yourself.

You may take out a loan against your account balance in your Tax-Deferred Account and/or Contributory Retirement Account, as long as your funds are with Vanguard or Fidelity. To request a loan you must have a total account balance in these funds of at least $2,000. Fidelity and Vanguard funds are subject to certain rules and restrictions, including those set by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

TIAA does not allow loans from their investment options.

NOTE: The following information pertains to ordinary loans and hardship distribution rules; you may have alternative options in 2020 as provided in the  Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act . Read more about the CARES Act distribution and loans  in this FAQ .

Apply for Other Loans and Distributions First

Before requesting a hardship distribution under SCRP, you must first apply for all other types of distributions and non-taxable loans currently available to you in SCRP and/or any other plan within the “controlled group” (read about these groups below). The account or annuity contract may impose additional limits.

Loan Provisions

Before requesting a loan, you should be aware of the general provisions of the loan program:

• You can have only one outstanding loan at any time.
• The minimum amount you can request is $1,000.
• The maximum amount you can request is 50 percent of your account balance up to $50,000 (reduced by the highest aggregate outstanding loan balance under the plan or any other plan within the controlled group during the year that ends on the date before the loan is made).
• The interest rate is the prime rate plus 1 percent and is determined at the time you request a loan.
• If the loan is to purchase your primary residence, you may elect to repay the loan over a period of up to 15 years. If the loan is for any other reason, you may take up to five years to repay the loan.
• You must be employed by Stanford or SLAC at the time your loan application is approved.
• Loans may be subject to an administrative processing fee.
• Loan repayments are monthly through an automatic transfer of funds from your checking or savings account into your SCRP account.

Hardship Distributions

If you have an account balance in the Stanford Contributory Retirement Plan (SCRP), you are under age 59-½ and are still employed by Stanford, you can only withdraw money from SCRP if you have a financial hardship.

Hardship distributions may be available to:

• Purchase a primary residence
• Pay tuition, room and board, and education-related fees, when these fees are paid directly to the institution and not used to reimburse yourself after you have already paid them (you may also want to read more about  Stanford's Tuition Grant Program )
• Pay uninsured, qualified medical expenses
• Prevent eviction from or foreclosure on your primary residence
• Pay burial or funeral expenses for your deceased parent, spouse, child(ren) or dependent, when these fees are paid directly to the institution and not used to reimburse yourself after you have already paid them
• Pay expenses for the repair of damage to your primary residence that would qualify for a casualty deduction under the Internal Revenue Code

The amount available for a financial hardship distribution is limited to the lesser of either:

• The amount you need to meet your current financial need (the amount needed to satisfy tax liability on a hardship distribution is included in the determination of your financial need)
• The amount of your account balance representing before-tax contributions plus investment gains earned before Jan. 1, 1989

NOTE : Employer contributions are not eligible for hardship withdrawals.

"Controlled Group” and Loans

Stanford is required to follow IRS regulations that mandate the university treat its retirement plans and plans maintained by other Stanford-related employers as belonging to a single “controlled group” for various purposes. This controlled group includes:

• Stanford University
• Stanford Health Care (SHC)
• Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
• University Healthcare Alliance
• Packard Children’s Health Alliance
• CareCounsel
• SAA Sierra Programs LLC
• Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.

Employees who work for any of these organizations will be considered, for certain administrative purposes, to be employed by the same employer: Stanford.

If you have been employed by any of the other entities within the controlled group and have taken a loan that has had an outstanding balance within the last 12 months, it may affect the loan amount available to you. This will be determined during the review of your loan request by Stanford.

Before you request a loan, you can model various loan scenarios on the  My Retirement Savings website . To apply for a loan, call 888-793-8733 and speak with a Fidelity representative.

If you request a hardship withdrawal from more than one plan or vendor within the controlled group you must file for each separately and the amount requested from all plans and vendors cannot exceed the amount allowed for financial hardships as defined above.

Neither Stanford nor any plan fiduciary or investment provider will be liable if an administrative plan process (i.e., enrollment, distribution) is materially delayed due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control. This includes, but is not limited to, war, earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane, tornado, pandemic, acts of terrorism and acts of God which could not be avoided by the exercise of due diligence.

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SLAC Travel Card

Travel cards (t-cards) are the required method of payment for booking official business travel on behalf of slac..

The SLAC Travel Card (T-Card) is a JPMorgan Chase (JPMC) MasterCard used for travel-related business transactions. Travel expenses charged to the SLAC T-Card are paid directly by SLAC to JPMC. 

The T-Card can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted and reduces the need for reimbursements with respect to allowable expenses. For more detailed information, including permissible expenses, usage guidance, and restrictions, refer to  Travel Card Policy and Procedures .  

Apply for a SLAC Travel Card

Proper Travel Card Use

The following list includes the allowable and proper use for the SLAC T-Card:

• Air, rail, bus, taxi, rideshare services, and shuttle transportation
• Car reservations/rentals and automobile-related expenses, such as rental car fuel, tolls, and parking
• Hotel reservations, guarantees, and accommodations 

TYPES OF CARDS AVAILABLE

Individual t-card.

Issued to, and used only by, an active SLAC employee or an employee with job classification  CWR SU (Contingent Worker – Stanford University; must be connected to the VPN to access this site) on official SLAC business travel with pre-authorization in  Concur . 

Card Warnings and Suspension

Please see the below table for the list of SLAC Individual Travel Card out-of-compliance triggers, as well as the appropriate action that will be taken by the travel Office if a trigger is met.

Department T-Card

• Issued to an individual who is an active SLAC employee (e.g., Travel Administrator), and is assigned as the cardholder for a directorate/department. This role has additional responsibilities that are outlined in section 4.0 of the Travel Card Policy and Procedures 
• Department T-Cards should only be used for pre-authorized SLAC travel-related purchases for new hires, visitors, sponsored guests, faculty (non-CWR-SU employees), students (non-CWR-SU employees), postdocs (non-CWR-SU employees) and fellows  
• Department T-Cardholders can reference our  Reconciliation Flowchart

Please see the below table for the list of SLAC Department Travel Card out-of-compliance triggers, as well as the appropriate action that will be taken by Travel@SLAC if a trigger is met.

TRAVEL CARD INFO

• Open to All Employees : All individuals listed as SLAC employees in the SLAC Directory are eligible to apply for the SLAC Travel Card.
• Two Types of Travel Cards : Employees can opt for individual travel cards, while SLAC department administrators have the option of department cards. All charges on T-Cards are recorded in Concur .
• ID Theft Protection : Eases and simplifies your travel experience. Find further information in the Mastercard Guide to Benefits for Commercial Cardholders .

CARDHOLDER FRAUD ALERTS

JPMorgan Chase now supports cardholder fraud alerts directly to cardholders via text message, email, or phone call to alert SLAC users of suspicious activity or attempted activity on their T-Card. Cardholders can sign up to receive a mobile SMS text message, an email, and/or a phone call when there’s suspected fraud on the account. Cardholder alerts notify the cardholder of suspicious activity and offer a quick method to validate transactions. 

To enroll, visit ccalert.jpmorgan.com and follow these steps:

•  Enter the commercial card account number and billing zip code.
•  Add your alert device(s).
•  Enter your contact information.
•  Confirm your enrollment in text, email, or voice alerts:  
• For SMS text alerts, you will receive a text message. Simply reply “AGREE” to complete your enrollment.
• For email or voice alerts, after you enter your contact information, you’ll see your enrolled alerts populated at the bottom of the page.

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Card Services Phone Numbers 

• U.S. Canada 1-800-316-6056
• International 847-488-3748 

If you have questions about the cardholder alerts, please call the number on the back of your card.

REQUIRED TRAVEL CARD TRAINING

Supervisors should assign the training course, TCT101 (Travel Card Training) , as Mandatory to the traveler in the SLAC Training Portal .

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