Decision release timeline is a feature that allows admins to set a date and time to release protected application status changes to Travelers. Decision release timeline is set in program settings for internal programs only.
A protected status is an application status that is not visible to Travelers until the date & time set as the decision release timeline. A non-protected status is an application status that is visible to Travelers regardless of whether a decision release timeline is set or not. Protected statuses are only relevant if a decision release timeline has been set to a date & time in the future. If no decision release timeline is set or the decision release timeline date & time is in the past, all application statuses are thus considered non-protected and immediately released to travelers.
Protected statuses (not revealed to Travelers until decision release date):
- Conditionally Accepted
- Conditionally Approved
- Approved
- Nominated
- Waitlisted
- Accepted
- Not Accepted
- Committed
- Transferred
Non-protected statuses (revealed to Travelers immediately, regardless of decision release date):
- Incomplete
- Submitted
- In Review
- Withdrawn
- Deferred
To set decision release timeline…
- Click Programs in the main navigation menu
- Search or filter for the desired internal program
- Click the Program Settings Wheel icon of the desired program
- Locate the desired term
- Click immediately
- Click Decision Release
- Select the desired date
- Click Select Time
- Select the desired time
- Ensure the timezone is correct*
- Click Close
- Click SAVE
*if timezone is incorrect, head to the Organization tab in settings to update it
Here are several scenarios with decision release timelines:
Scenario 1
- Traveler starts an application to Israel that has a decision release timeline in the future
- Admin sees the Incomplete Israel application
- Traveler sees their application in Incomplete (non-protected status)
- Traveler submits their Israel application
- Admin sees the Submitted Israel application
- Traveler sees their Israel application in Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Israel application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Israel application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Israel application’s status to Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler still sees their Israel application In Review
- Israel’s decision release timeline date/time arrives
- Traveler now sees their Israel application as Accepted and gets notified of the acceptance
- Traveler commits their Israel application
- Admin sees the Committed Israel application
Scenario 2
- Traveler starts an application to Iceland that has a decision release timeline in the past
- Admin sees the Incomplete Iceland application
- Traveler submits their Iceland application
- Admin sees the Submitted Iceland application
- Traveler sees the Iceland application in Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Iceland application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Iceland application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Iceland application’s status to Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler sees their Iceland application Accepted and gets notified of the acceptance (because the decision release timeline is in the past!)
- Traveler commits their Iceland application
- Admin sees the Committed Iceland application
Scenario 3
- Traveler starts an application to Ethiopia that has a decision release timeline in the future
- Admin sees the Incomplete Ethiopia application
- Traveler submits their Ethiopia application
- Admin sees the Submitted Ethiopia application
- Traveler sees their Ethiopia application Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Ethiopia application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Ethiopia application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Ethiopia application’s status to Not Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler still sees their Ethiopia application In Review
- Admin transfers the Not Accepted Ethiopia application to a Jordan term that has a decision release timeline in the future
- Admin sees the Transferred Ethiopia application and the new Not Accepted Jordan application
- Traveler still sees only their Ethiopia application In Review (because the new program term has a decision release timeline)
- Admin changes the Jordan application’s status to Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler still sees only their Ethiopia application In Review
- Jordan’s decision release timeline date/time arrives
- Traveler now sees their Ethiopia application as Transferred, their new Jordan application as Accepted, and gets notified of the transfer & acceptance
- Traveler commits their Jordan application
- Admin sees the Committed Jordan application
Scenario 4
- Traveler starts an application to Russia that has a decision release timeline in the past
- Admin sees the Incomplete Russia application
- Traveler submits their Russia application
- Admin sees the Submitted Russia application
- Traveler sees their Russia application Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Russia application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Russia application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Russia application’s status to Conditionally Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler sees their Russia application Conditionally Accepted (because the decision release timeline is in the past!)
- Admin transfers the Conditionally Accepted Russia application to Egypt that has a decision release timeline in the future
- Admin sees the Transferred Russia application and the new Conditionally Accepted Egypt application
- Traveler still sees only their Russia application Conditionally Accepted (because the new program term has a decision release timeline in the future!)
- Egypt’s decision release timeline date/time arrives
- Traveler now sees their Russia application as Transferred, their new Egypt application as Conditionally Accepted, and gets notified of the transfer
- Admin changes the Egypt application’s status to Accepted
- Traveler sees their new Egypt application Accepted and gets notified of the acceptance (because decision release timeline is in the past)
- Traveler commits their Egypt application
- Admin sees the Committed Egypt application
Scenario 5
- Traveler starts an application to Norway that has a decision release timeline in the future
- Admin sees the Incomplete Norway application
- Traveler submits their Norway application
- Admin sees the Submitted Norway application
- Traveler sees their Norway application Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Norway application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Norway application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Norway application’s status to Waitlisted (protected status)
- Traveler still sees their Norway application In Review
- Admin transfers the Waitlisted Norway application to a Peru term that has a decision release timeline in the past
- Traveler now sees their original Norway application as Transferred, their new Peru application as Waitlisted, and gets notified of the transfer (because the final program term has a decision release timeline in the past!)
- Admin changes the Peru application’s status to Accepted
- Traveler sees their new Peru application Accepted and gets notified of the acceptance
- Traveler commits their Peru application
- Admin sees the Committed Peru application
Scenario 6
- Traveler starts an application to Mexico that has a decision release timeline in the past
- Admin sees the Incomplete Mexico application
- Traveler submits their Mexico application
- Admin sees the Submitted Mexico application
- Traveler sees their Mexico application Submitted (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Mexico application’s status to In Review (non-protected status)
- Traveler sees their Mexico application In Review (non-protected status)
- Admin changes the Mexico application’s status to Conditionally Accepted (protected status)
- Traveler sees their Mexico application Conditionally Accepted (because the decision release timeline is in the past!)
- Admin transfers the Conditionally Accepted Mexico application to Thailand that has a decision release timeline in the past
- Traveler now sees their original application Mexico as Transferred, their new Thailand application as Conditionally Accepted, and gets notified of the transfer
- Admin changes the Thailand application’s status to Accepted
- Traveler sees their new Thailand application Accepted and gets notified of the acceptance
- Traveler commits their Thailand application
- Admin sees the Committed Thailand application