[All Hands] San Francisco 2017 FAQ

Mozillians
#1

Hello all,

Another All Hands, another FAQ, if you have more inquiries, questions, doubts, please reply to this topic. This FAQ is based on the previous ones, so feel free to ask anything you need to know.

What is an All Hands?
An All Hands is a meeting where all the Mozilla Employees get together to meet in person with their teammates, to work on their projects, to plan, and to discover more about the objectives and the goals of the organization for the next quarters. It’s also an opportunity to work across teams, to identify shared priorities and to build a broader understanding of Mozilla.

What are the objectives/goals?
The main objective is the opportunity to work in person teams that usually works remotely. This is very much a “get work done” event. Also is the occasion to learn about the objectives of Mozilla for the next quarters, and align all the teams under those goals.

What is the selection criteria?
Each team has assigned a budget to invite volunteers, so they need to select carefully those people that they want to work more closely, or in a specific project for the next months. The criteria depends on each team, and also depends on the objectives or goals that they have for the next quarters.
In this occasion, the process was through nominations, and then the teams voted and select the volunteers based on their contributions, and commitment proposal.
For more information about this process, please visit the wiki.

How many volunteers are invited?
For this All Hands, around 70.

How often we have these All Hands and where?
From 2015, we are having 2 gatherings per year, for where you can find more info on the wiki.

I’ve been working with X team and they didn’t select me, even after I made important contributions.
It could be that the team you’ve been working with doesn’t have the budget to invite volunteers, or can only invite a few. We encourage you to have a conversation with the team(s) you work with to better inform both of you for upcoming events.

Where I can find information about the All Hands?
You can check the wiki, where you’ll find all the necessary information.

What if I want to stay a couple of days more at San Francisco?
The official arrival date is June 26th, and the departure should be July 1st. Anything outside these dates will be on your own. Mozilla will cover flights, meals and accommodation only for those days. If you want to extend your stay in San Francisco, be aware that you will have to look for an accommodation option, and flight price should be similar to the official dates.

Unfortunately we cannot make any exception for this All Hands.

It will be activities like previous All Hands?
Yes, please check the wiki for get more information.

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#2

1) When the All Hands will take place?
The All Hands will be taking place from June 26th to July 1st in San Francisco, CA, USA. Arrival date should be Monday 26th, there will be a welcome cocktail, and meetings and activities will start on Tuesday morning until Friday. Departure date will be Saturday 1st.

2) What is covered by Mozilla?
All meals, travels and accommodation costs while the All Hands takes place. All food are included during the event. We will be using a shuttle transport to get from the Airport to the hotel. More information can be found on the wiki.

3) What other costs are covered?
If you need to travel from a long distance to the nearest airport (we highly encourage public transport). For layovers longer than 3 hours, we can also cover food and beverages (not alcohol) up to 15 USD.
Reimbursement for visas will be explained below.

4) What we don’t cover?

  • Taxi
  • Food purchased in the plane
  • Hotel at the Airport (if you need to stay a night, please contact Francisco first)
  • Transportation from and to SFO airport outside the travel dates.

5) Do I need a visa to enter US?
If you are unsure if you need a visa or not, please visit this page: Information
You will need a valid passport for at least 6 months to enter the country.

If you are part of countries that doesn’t require a Visa, please check the ESTA requirements. And if you need an ESTA, please go to this webpage: Official ESTA application (price should be around 14 USD. If you are seeing a higher price, you are on the wrong site).

6) Does Mozilla covers Visa fees?
Yes, we will be covering costs related to visas, and ESTA process. Please contact Francisco for more information.

7) How will be the process to request reimbursement for visa fees?
If you are a Rep, you only need to file a budget request through the standard process. There is an event page in Reps portal, so you can include it in your request. If you are not a Rep, please contact a Rep in your country, or in your region to help you out. If that Rep doesn’t know how to help you, or refuse to help you for some reason, please contact Francisco Picolini.

8) What papers do I need in order to request the visa?
Each country has different requests, please contact your local US embassy in your city for more information. If you have to request something special, please contact Brianna or Francisco. We will be sending an invitation letter, and the hotel confirmation as soon as possible. Those documents along with your flight confirmation email from Egencia, should provide you with what you need from Mozilla to apply for a visa.

9) How do I book the flights?

  • You will have to create an account (even if you have one), since it will work only for this All Hands. It will be a temporary account. Please follow the link provided in the email we’ve sent on Friday April 14th. If you book with your active/actual account in Egencia, we won’t be able to see those bookings and/or we won’t be able to link it to the All Hands event.
  • If you create the temporary account, you will see Brianna as your approver person. Please select her in order to book your flights properly.
  • If it ask for cost center, please indicate 1003-CIO

10) I already have an active account in Egencia, can I use that one?
Simply and fast answer: no. In order to track and approve your travel and assign it correctly to the appropriate meeting, we need that you create a temporary account. If you book with your existing account, we won’t be able to see that trip (and probably won’t be able to approve it).

11) It ask for Traveler Group and department
Please include All Hands Volunteers as traveler Group, and 1003-CIO as department.

12) Which Airport is the one that I should choose?
The airport is San Francisco International (SFO). If you arrive into another airport (OAK or SJC) or on a different date, ground transportation is on your own.

13) What specific costs related to request a Visa are covered?
Only costs associated to process the papers. Which can include travel to the office (if you live far away, or if there’s no office or local embassy in your city).

14) What costs are excluded?
Since we are sending invitations with 2 months in advance, we won’t cover the following “extras”:

  • Fees associated to offices or agencies that process the visa for you.
  • Expedit/priority visas (we can do exceptions, but has to be reviewed)
  • Medical insurance (note that in some countries are “suggested” and in others is “mandatory” in order to process the visa. We will only reimburse in case of “mandatory”)
  • Passport (if you need to do a new passport, or if your passport is expired).
  • Photos or costs associated to extra documentation
  • Re-Apply after a rejection.

15) I’m under 18 years old, are the costs related to the visa of my guardian covered by Mozilla?
Yes, exactly the same as stated above, we will cover only costs related to the visa, and won’t cover the “extras” already mentioned.

16) What would be the process to request the reimbursement?
The same as we stated above for requesting reimbursements.

2 Likes
#3

Do I need to to do anything further to book or confirm booking of my flights ?

I have received apparently contradictory emails.

  1. TripController - John Hesling - San Francisco, CA - Jun 26, 2017 - Approval Request
    That says in red:
    Please note that automatic booking will be attempted for this trip upon approval

  2. ACTION REQUIRED: TripController - John Hesling - San Francisco, CA - Jun 26, 2017 - Approved
    That has a link & says
    ACTION REQUIRED: Though the travel items are approved, they have not all been booked. You must go to the Egencia website to complete booking of these items. Please check your itinerary for additional information.
    Book Now

The Book Now link is an SSO sign in requiring a Mozilla LDAP username which as a volunteer contributor I do not have.

1 Like
#4

Looks like the USA esta site has a problem at present

#5

I had the same. Use the link Francisco sent at the beginning, this will take you to the login page. Log in there and then copy/paste the “Book now” link from the mail and open it in the same tab and it’ll work.

1 Like
#6

Thanks for the reply. I am not certain on how to correctly follow your instructions, but it appears the bookings were automatically made. The itinerary is updated and I have received a booking confirmation email.

#7

@John99: For this kind of things is better to ask me directly over email. The message only tells you that an automatic booking will be attempted. If the process fails that’s when you receive the second email. So the process is to log in with your account, find the trip you’ve booked, and click on the button that says “Book Now” or “Purchase Flight”, is more simpler than the solution proposed by Michael.

Regarding the ESTA site, again, please contact me directly, but both pages works at this moment, so you only need to wait.

Regards,

#8

Legal Information

1) Where I can find information about Travel Concerns?
There’s information on the All Hands wiki about Airlines, and large device ban on flights.

2) What’s the purpose of my trip?
To attend a conference, an event, or business meetings

3) What kind of visa should I request?
B-1 Business Visitor Visa

3) If I am entering the United States, can I be stopped and searched?
Yes. CBP can stop, search, and detain anyone at the border for any reason.

4) Do I have to turn over my device? Do I have to unlock my device or provide the password to the device? Can CBP search my devices or make copies of its content?
CBP can inspect, seize and retain your device. If you are asked to provide your device for physical inspection, you should do so.

CBP may also ask you to provide the password to your device or unlock your device. It is currently not clear whether you have a right to decline to provide the password to your device or unlock your device. It is also not clear how far CBP can go in searching your device or making copies of its content.

If you decline to unlock your device or provide passwords for your device, be aware that CBP may seize and retain your device for further inspection.

5) Can I be denied entry to the United States and/or have my device seized for refusing to unlock or provide the password to my device?
If you decline to unlock you device or provide passwords for your device, CBP may seize and retain your device for further inspection.

CBP’s authority to deny you entry can depend on your immigration status. If you are a United States citizen or Green Card holder, you may be detained or otherwise delayed by CBP, but you cannot be denied entry into the United States. If you are a nonimmigrant visa holder or other foreign national, CBP can deny you entry into the United States.

6) Do I have to provide access to my social media accounts or email?
At the border, if CBP presses you to provide access to your social media accounts or email, the same general considerations apply to these accounts and passwords as apply to your devices, so check out the answer to questions 3 and 4 above.

7) What should I do if my device is taken?
If your device is taken, obtain a receipt and write down the name of the CBP officer who took the device.

CBP should also provide you with an information sheet that explains their policy and procedures for inspecting electronic devices, including the process for returning your device (which could take more than 30 days, unless CBP determines that the device must be seized).

8) Should I travel with my laptop/phone/tablet?
You need to make a decision based on the purpose of your travel and your business needs. But if you’ve read this far, you now know that your devices and the information they contain could end up in the possession of CBP. You should act accordingly. That means:

  • Only bring a device if you really need it.
  • Back up all of the data on your device that you do not want to lose if your device is taken.
  • Delete copies of confidential data from your device that you do not want to be at risk of access by CBP or other third parties.
  • Encrypt the data on your device (note, your drive should already be encrypted by default).
  • Assure password protection is enabled on your device (longer and more complex the better)
  • Confirm that your device is updated with the latest operating system and application patches so as to make use of the most up-to-date security features.
  • Ensure your device is powered off when crossing borders (not just hibernating/sleeping).

9) What should I do if I have authentication credentials or other sensitive data on my device?
Again, you need to make a decision based on the purpose of your travel and your business needs. The same guidance generally applies; if you don’t need it then you shouldn’t travel with it.

10) Do I have the right to counsel during CBP questioning?
It depends on your immigration status and what stage of the admission process you are in. The following rules generally apply:

  • If you are a United States citizen: You have the right to counsel if you are detained. You also have the right to counsel during additional screening (i.e., secondary inspection) by CBP. Asking to speak with an attorney (i.e., invoking the right to counsel) during secondary inspection is likely to seriously delay your admission to the United States.
  • If you are a Green Card holder or nonimmigrant visa holder: You have the right to counsel if you are (i) charged with a crime, or (ii) placed into removal proceedings. If you are placed into removal proceedings, an attorney will not be provided for you by the government. You generally do not have the right to counsel during additional screening (i.e., secondary inspection) by CBP.

11) What do I do if I get detained?
Contact information is provided on the Invitation letter in the event that you do not have access to your devices. We will give more details over email before the event starts

12) If I have additional questions or concerns, who can I contact?
If you do end up in a situation at the border in which you are uncertain what to do and need support, you will be able to contact a Mozilla staff, details will be shared over the email.

If you have general immigration questions, please reach out to Heather Durham (details are in the Invitation letter).

13) Will Mozilla provide me with legal support?
Yes. In the event that you encounter problems at the border while traveling on Mozilla’s behalf, we will give you the details to contact a Mozilla staff. We will assess the situation and find you appropriate legal resources.

14) What should I do if I turn over my passwords?
Any passwords that you do hand over must be changed as quickly as possible after transiting the border.

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