10 In accordance with the provisions of Staff Rule 810.5, the purpose of family visit travel is to allow an eligible internationally-recruited staff member who is alone in the duty station to visit their family (spouse) at WHO's expense. Family visit travel from the duty station to the place where the spouse is residing, or another place, once in each interval between home leave due dates. Alternatively the spouse, but not the children, may visit the staff member at the duty station in accordance with the provisions of Staff Rule 820.2.6. The Organization's liability is limited to the cost of travel between the duty station and the place where the spouse is residing, or the actual destination, whichever is less.
20 As the intent of family visit travel is to enable expatriate staff alone in their duty station to visit their families, the staff member is required to spend a reasonable length of time with their family in the destination place where family visit is exercised, which should be no fewer than seven days (i.e. six nights), exclusive of travel time in the family visit travel destination. The number of days spent on family visit travel is charged to the staff member's annual leave balance, except for travel time. The established minimum seven-day length of stay must be spent in the destination place where family visit travel is exercised and, should this requirement not be met, staff members will forfeit their family visit entitlement.
30 The minimum duration of appointment for eligibility for this travel corresponds to that of the home leave cycle of the official station concerned. Thus, as required by Staff Rule 810.5.2;
- at a 24-month duty station, the assignment of an eligible staff member must continue for at least 6 months after their return, or
- at a 12-month duty station, the assignment of an eligible staff member must continue for at least 3 months after their return.
40 Staff Rule 820.2.6 refers to a spouse. Therefore, a single staff member (i.e. divorced, widowed or a single parent) is not entitled to family visit travel.
50 The date of eligibility to travel under Staff Rule 810.5 or Staff Rule 820.2.6 is the date on which the staff member has accumulated 12 credit points, i.e. after six months at a 12-month station or 12 months at a 24-month station (or, for example, after three months at a 12-month station followed by six months at a 24-month station if the staff member has served at more than one duty station). Because of the requirement for six months' service at 24 months duty stations and three months service at 12-month duty stations, after return from this travel, authority for the travel may have to be given slightly before the normally-required credit points have been accumulated. The exercise of this travel (unlike that on home leave) does not entail debiting the required 12 credit points: the use of the points only serves the purpose of identifying when the staff member will have acquired full eligibility.
60 When a staff member has waived the following entitlements which may have been due to the spouse under Staff Rules :
the staff member may apply for travel under Staff Rule 810.5 or 820.2.6, as reverse family visit for the spouse. This waiver remains in effect for the remainder of the home leave cycle of the official station, i.e. until the next home leave due date. Any special leave without pay taken under Staff Rule 650 or sick leave under insurance cover in excess of thirty days does not count towards completion of the period mentioned above.
70 Under no circumstances may dependent children travel as part of the family visit travel entitlement. There is no reverse family visit entitlement for children.
80 A leave request to travel under Staff Rule 810.5 or 820.2.6 should be made by the staff member in the leave and absence system which will automatically forward the request to the HR Administrator, GSC for approval. Once the leave request has been approved, the staff member should make a travel request and indicate that the travel is under Staff Rule 810.5 or 820.2.6. The HR Administrator, GSC indicates on the travel request that the entitlements under Staff Rule 820.2.1 (travel of the spouse on the appointment of the staff member), Staff Rule 820.2.2 (travel of the spouse subsequent to the staff members appointment), and Staff Rule 820.2.3 (travel of the spouse on change of official station of the staff member) have been waived.
90 A staff member who has exercised an entitlement to travel under Staff Rule 810.5 or 820.2.6 and who wishes, within the period covered by the waiver mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, to exercise "appointment travel" for their spouse under Staff Rules 820.2.1, 820.2.2 or 820.2.3 may do so in exchange for 12 home leave credit points. This will result in delaying the due date of the next home leave by half a cycle. The HR Administrator, GSC will make the necessary adjustment to the home leave due date.
100 Any special leave without pay or SLIC taken in excess of 30 days does not count towards completion of the period mentioned above.
