VAR Process for BBE Group Admin & Faculty/Sponsor

The process will be the same for new appointments and reappointments

Timeline: 4-6 weeks. Contingent on Sponsor/Delegate and Visitor's responsiveness.
**Add 5-6 weeks for Visitors, Visiting Associates, Visiting Professors to receive their HR letters (they cannot start working until they sign their letter and are onboarded by HR and ISS if applicable).

I. Group Admin Initiates Request

1. Determine visitor type

• Review the Visiting appointments flowchart (which follows institute policies) on Quick Links for Staff and in doubt, reach out to Stefany Nielsen.

2. Gather visitor's name and email (non-Caltech email)
3. Go to Access.Caltech and navigate to Administrative Services > Visitor Access Request

• Click Visitor Application Request
• Complete the visit application questions and submit
  * Will the visitor participate in research or require lab training at Caltech? Includes off-sites (LIGO, OVRO, Palomar, …) and remote only collaborators.
  * Select the Visitor Only for those already processed through VAR. If it is the first time processing that person in VAR => "Check here if this is a new Visitor"

II. Sponsor/Delegate Completes Application

1. Sponsor and delegate, if applicable, will receive an email from Caltech VAR <[email protected]> with visit request information and a link to VAR
2. Sponsor completes the application directly online
If preferred, sponsor may fill out and sign a questionnaire PDF for their delegate to enter online
3. Review existing information from initial request, make updates if necessary
4. "The visitor will be conducting research or collaborating (paid or unpaid) on a Caltech research project"
If there is no award funding the research, N/A can be indicated in the supplemental questions that follow when selecting this option in the questions. If there is any follow up questions when the request goes into Compliance Review, the department reviewing the request will reach out to the sponsor and/or the support staff for follow up questions.
5. Complete sponsor questions, save, and then submit (in case the submission does not go through, if not saved first, the information must be entered again).

Note on Save button: will only save if all required fields are populated (we already told HR that it should not be the case; it's in their enhancement queue)

III. Visitor Completes Application

1. Visitor receives email from Caltech VAR with visit request information and a link to VAR Admins may send an email warning the visitor about the VAR email to ensure they won't ignore it. (See Email Template for Visitor)
2. Visitor creates a VAR username and password
3. Visitor completes questions and submits

IV. Division/Department Reviews Requests and Approves or Rejects/Return/Disapproves

1. Division/Department receives email from Caltech VAR with information related to the visit request and link to VAR
2. Reviews request and makes a recommendation to approve, return, or disapprove
   1. They may return the request to visitor, sponsor, or initiator for more information.
   2. Requests not initiated by an admin or business manager will be put on hold until admin/business manager reviews and approves it and will delay the process.
3. Once request is approved, it moves forward to HR

V. HR Reviews Request

1. HR reviews the request and may contact the sponsoring Division/Department with questions. If needed, HR will send the request back for further information
2. If no questions, request is approved

VI. VAR Compliance Review

1. Request will go to the following based on their responses if applicable to their area
2. Once request is approved, it moves to HR
   1. If the request is not approved by any of the compliance groups, they will contact the division/department sponsor.

VII. If Approved, HR Final Steps

External Affiliate, Guest Collaborator, Volunteer:

1. HR initiates contact to complete required forms
2. Once the visitor has returned the required forms, HR Record is updated. Caltech UID will be emailed to the person that initiated the request and the1 sponsor (confirmed by HR)
   1. Group can begin the onboarding process

NOTE: The BBE Division Office will continue to track these assignments and will contact you once they are close to expiring.

Academic Visitors – Visitor, Visiting Associate, Visiting Professor:

1. HR will notify the person who initiated the request (i.e., AA) and will Cc. Stefany Nielsen of compliance approval. Caltech UID will be emailed to the person that initiated the request and the sponsor (confirmed by HR)
2. Division will begin internal division process and approval required at this point and proceed with Division Personal Management (DPM) recommendation.
   From the moment the paperwork is submitted in DPM until the visitor receives their letter, add 5-6 weeks.
   Visitor is required to sign the letter and go through onboarding with HR and ISS when applicable. Foreign visitors will not be able to start working until they have a valid visa and/or work authorization.

BBE will still track those due to the contract, termination form and IACC reviews, when applicable. Academic Visitors must also complete COIs and other trainings. The Division will still create new folders, track end dates and assign tasks accordingly (expiring visits will also show in VAR).