UGH...Paper Work

Besides a valid passport, CACHA requires that you fill in and submit the following:

1. Mission Sign-up form (available online through CACHA's web site)
   You first need to be accepted into the mission by CACHA. Filling out and submitting this form is the first step. If you are approved, then you'll probably be contacted by email. All necessary documents will either be included with the emaiL or contain instructions on how to get them.


2. Membership form
   If you are not a CACHA member already, you will need to purchase a membership $40 CND per person for one year.


3. CACHA Waiver form and Code of Conduct
   Obviously you are representing CACHA when you are in Africa so there are some waiver and conduct items that need to be understood and acknowledged.


4. Mission Volunteer Agreement form


5. Photocopy of your passport


6. Photocopy of your Travel Health Insurance


7. Copies of any professional licenses


8. Working Permit/Exemption form
   This is a work permit that will allow you to volunteer in Tanzania. You need to fill this out and submit to CACHA who will the handle the submission process for all the mission members.
   
   You need to submit 3 copies of this form to CACHA along with 5 passport size photos that have a blue background, plus photocopies of any professional certifications/licenses/diplomas for reference.
   NOTE: This form is different form the Tanzanian Visa which you, yourself are responsible for attaining. Submit your application at least one month before departure. The working permit must be processed before you can apply for your visa.


9. Entry Visa (obtain from the Tanzanian embassy in Ottawa)
   You will need to submit a passport picture with this application. The cost for a visa is $75 Canadian; cash only (no credit card or cheques). As well you will need a "letter of Invitation" showing that you have permission to be working in the country. The letter of invitation will be sent directly to the embassy by CACHA, who will inform you as soon as the letter is sent.
   
   About the visa application process:
   
   -the embassy requires that you leave your password with them! They have it for about a week (kinda stressful) and they "add a page" with your visa info.
   
   - when filling out the visa form, item #11-Purpose of Visit, should be checked off as Mission. If you are staying for travel afterward, also check off Travel, Leisure, Holiday. Be prepared to include all addresses of the places that you will be staying at during your visit (for both mission and travel).

A couple of notes regarding the pictures: The 5 passport size photos with the blue background are used by CACHA to accompany your paperwork. They don't need to be passport quality. You can get them taken at a photo booth as long as a blue background is available. We tried that route but found that the blue background came out grey, so we threw a blue sheet on a door, took some digital pics and printed them out ourselves.

There are tons of places for you to get your Visa passport picture.
A few we checked out in Ottawa...
for a set of two pics:
Blacks Photography (Bayshore S.C.) ~$23
Shopper's Drug mart ~$10
Costco $6.99 (if you can wait the 30 minutes without buying anything else in the store!)