South Africa Invitation Accept Email

I received the following email today from the Assessment and Placement Assistant, for the Africa region. 

Congratulations Sherry and welcome to the Peace Corps! Your place in
the South Africa program has now been confirmed. Please read this
letter carefully and save it for your records.

Please begin the visa and passport application process immediately, and
send the requested updated resume and aspiration statement within the
next two weeks. The Volunteer Handbook will give you more in-depth
information surrounding pre-departure, and will also address other
questions and concerns about being a Peace Corps volunteer. Please read
it thoroughly well before your staging event!

If you have a current personal passport that is in good condition,
signed, and was issued to you in your current name after the age of 16,
then the easiest way to get your no-fee government passport is to go to
www.travel.state.gov online. Click on “Passports,” then “Application
for Passport by Mail (Renewals Only)” and then download the DS-82
Passport Renewal form. Complete it and send it, along with the visa
application (if required by your country of service), plus all necessary
photos, with your CURRENT passport (not a photocopy), memo from the
Transportation Division Director using the FedEx air bill we supplied.
We will hold your passport and give it back to you at the staging event,
meaning that you will have two valid passports. Neither a witnessing
agent nor a witnessing fee is necessary when using the DS-82. Note that
since the printing of the form “Mailing Instructions PC-VRS 963.1.3″ on
09/2005, some guidelines have changed for shipping the DS-82 and it is
no longer necessary to include an envelope for the DS-82 passport form
and visa form(s).

If you do not have a current passport, or you are planning on traveling
outside of the United States prior to departure and will need your
current passport, please apply using the DS-11 form included in your
invitation kit. Fill out the DS-11 form, but DO NOT sign it until you
are in the presence of a certifying agent. Bring the prepaid FedEx air
bill with you to the passport/post office so you can mail the DS-11
after signing it and receiving the certifying signature from a passport
representative. Please note that you will also have to pay a $30
witnessing fee when using the DS-11. Note that the witnessing official
should add the DS-11 passport application, photos, proof of citizenship
and identity, and memo from the Transportation Division Director to a
sufficiently large envelope and seal it. This sealed envelope should be
added to the FedEx envelope and mailed to Peace Corps using the supplied
air bill.

On both the DS-11 and DS-82 forms, please answer these questions as
follows:

OCCUPATION: VOLUNTEER
EMPLOYER: PEACE CORPS
MAIL MY NEW PASSPORT TO: Street: United States Peace Corps
City: Washington
State: DC Zip Code: 20526
TRAVEL PLANS:
DATE OF TRIP: (Fill in the staging date from the front
page of the “Your Assignment” booklet)
LENGTH OF TRIP: 27 MONTHS
COUNRTIES TO BE VISITED: (Fill in your country of service)

When using either form, please be sure to clearly complete the FedEx Air
bill with your name, contact information, and whether you are using the
DS-11 or DS-82. If you have any passport or visa related questions,
contact SATO Travel at 800-424-8580, Ext. 1170. To confirm receipt of
the applications at Peace Corps Head Quarters, save the tracking number
from the air bill and call 1-800-GOFEDEX 5-7 days after mailing.

***If you are applying for your passport from overseas, other
circumstances may apply. For detailed instructions on the application
process, contact SATO Travel at 202-692-1170.

E-mail your updated resume and aspiration statement to the Country Desk
Unit at southafrica@peacecorps.gov. This is your introduction to the
host country staff, so please provide as much detailed information about
yourself as possible. This needs to include all scholastic, work and
volunteer experience that qualifies to be a Peace Corps volunteer.
Information such as interests and hobbies, which may not be on your
current resume, may also be included in order to give the staff an
understanding of your personality and background. All other forms in
your invitation packet should be carried with you to the staging event
where they will be collected.

About three weeks before your departure date, you will receive your
Staging Kit, which will include updated forms and information regarding
the staging event. It will also tell you how to make travel plans
through Peace Corps/SATO Travel for transportation to the staging. If
your current address will be changing, please let us know immediately by
contacting us or by changing it yourself through “My Toolkit” so we can
be sure your packet is sent to the correct address. If you have
questions about your staging event or the location please contact the
Staging Office at 1-800-424-8580, Ext. 1865.

FINAL CLEARANCES:

* DENTAL: Please verify the date of your dental clearance with
your Placement Officer or with the dental office at Ext. 1507. If your
dental clearance date was more than a year before your departure date,
you will need to make an appointment for a dental checkup to update your
records. Please contact Danielle Smith, Dental Screening Assistant,
at Ext. 1507, or by e-mail at dsmith@peacecorps.gov.
* MEDICAL: If you have received a “provisional” medical clearance
or have any outstanding paperwork required to receive full medical
clearance, please either submit the required documentation or contact
your Screening Nurse immediately.
* LEGAL/FINANCIAL: If your legal and/or financial status has
changed since you submitted your application (i.e. arrest, charge,
citation, conviction, financial obligation, etc.), please call (202)
692-1845 immediately. If you have any legal documents that need to be
submitted prior to departure (i.e. marriage certificate, name change,
etc.), please fax them to: 202-692-1898.
* NON-DISCLOSURES: Your acceptance into the Peace Corps is based
on all known information in your legal and medical histories. If you
have failed to disclose pertinent or new information regarding your
legal or medical history, please contact your Placement Officer or
Screening Nurse at this time. If your National Agency Check
(NAC)/Background Investigation and/or medical status reveals any
non-disclosed information, you may be removed from Peace Corps training
or volunteer service.

Your point of contact before staging is the Country Desk Unit for your
country of service. Find their contact information in the “Contacting
the Head Quarters” section of the country book link in the passport and
visa section of the invitation kit, or on the back page of the Volunteer
Assignment Description. Please contact them with any questions.

Good luck and enjoy yourself in the toughest job you’ll ever love!