VEN Frequently Asked Questions

The basic version of Acrobat reader is all that is needed to successfully sign your VEN voucher using your PIV card. Adobe Pro is not needed.

Yes. A PIV/Smart card is needed to sign and submit PCS travel vouchers in VEN. The ability to use a PIV adds integrity to the voucher signing process.

The primary way to access the VEN application is with a PIV card, see guide (VEN Single Sign On For DOI PIV Card Holders, For logins without a PIV card, see guide (VEN_Login_No DOI PIV Card).

Employees only (Not supervisors or approving officials) will need to navigate to https://relomw.com/ and click the Sign In button and follow the instructions to use PIV card to sign into VEN.

No, it is not required or recommended that you are connected to VPN while logged into VEN.

The main Employee Portal page in VEN is split into 3 columns and reflect the following:

Column 1

• PCS Travel Voucher submission (Where you go to create and submit PCS travel vouchers)
• PCS travel Voucher Instructional Guides and Videos
• Ability to send message to your IBC or RMW move coordinator

Column 2

• Reflects current status of PCS voucher submissions (Started, signed, submitted for payment)
• Reflects IBC Accounting Technician POC processing each PCS voucher type
• Household Goods Scheduled Survey, Pack, Load, Delivery dates
• Ability to create or update a To-Do list via online or through mobile application

Column 3

• IBC Move Coordinator Contact information
• RMW Move Coordinator Contact information

See the Instructional Guide (Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20)

The main Employee Portal page in VEN will reflect the specific IBC voucher technician (Name, email, phone) that is processing a specific voucher claim type.

The main Employee Portal page in VEN has an area (PCS Travel Voucher Instructional Video & Guides) that contains both video and pdf instructional guides for all voucher claim types.

The bureaus listed below have elected to allow their employees to self-initiate submission of PCS travel vouchers online via VEN. If your bureau is not listed, you will need to follow the PCS travel voucher submission process outlined by your bureau.

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
• Office of the Secretary of the Interior (OS/DO)
• Office of Surface Mining (OSM)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)

See the Instructional Guides:

Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20

VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Chrome

VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Internet Explorer

See the Instructional Guide (Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20)

An employee’s signed Travel Authorization (Block 10) reflects what entitlements and allowances are authorized. See the Instructional Guide (Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20)

See the Instructional Guide (Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20)

No, it is not recommended that you are connected to VPN while logged into VEN.

Each travel voucher is part of an automated workflow that begins with the employee creating, submitting, and digitally signing with PIV card. This signed voucher is automatically sent via the Adobe workflow to the employee’s supervisor for review and PIV card digital signature.

See the Instructional Guides:

• Employee_Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20
• VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Chrome
• VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Internet Explorer

See the Instructional Guides (Employee_Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20, VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Chrome, VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Internet Explorer)

After successful signing of your VEN voucher, employee will receive an email notification voucher was signed and forwarded to supervisor for review and signature. See the Instructional Guides (Employee_Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20, VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Chrome, VEN Signing_Downloading Voucher_Internet Explorer)

Once a PCS travel voucher is digitally signed using PIV card, the voucher is automatically forwarded to the supervisor’s email address provided by the employee for their review and signature.

During the signing process the employee will type in the supervisor’s name and email address. After the employee successfully digitally signs their voucher using their PIV card, VEN will automatically send email to supervisor with link to review and sign the PCS travel voucher. After supervisor successfully digitally signs voucher using their PIV card, both the employee and supervisor will receive an email with attached signed voucher notifying them that the voucher has been submitted to the Interior Business Center for processing.

See the Instructional Guides (Supervisor_Signing PCS Vchr_Nov20)

The email notification sent to supervisors to review and sign will come from the Interior Business Center. The email address will be echosign@echosign.com. Note: The email address is scheduled to change to adobesign@adobesign.com in next update to VEN.

This is a known error that will be part of the next iteration of VEN. The workaround solution for customers is to flatten their pdf files before uploading into VEN. To flatten your pdf files, follow these steps or see Instructions (Flattening a pdf File)

1. Open the pdf file
2. Click File >Print
3. From the print screen, select the drop down next to ‘printer” and select “Microsoft print to PDF’
4. Make sure ‘All’ is selected under the Pages to print section
5. A new File Explorer window will open. Name and save the file to a place you can go back and retrieve when ready to upload into VEN
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for additional files

This is a known error that will be part of the next update to VEN. The workaround solution for customers is to flatten their pdf files before uploading into VEN. To flatten your pdf files, follow these steps or see Instructions (Flattening a pdf File)

1. Open the pdf file
2. Click File >Print
3. From the print screen, select the drop down next to ‘printer” and select “Microsoft print to PDF’
4. Make sure ‘All’ is selected under the Pages to print section
5. A new File Explorer window will open. Name and save the file to a place you can go back and retrieve when ready to upload into VEN
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for additional files

Note: Customer may need to ensure they are selecting their digital signing certificate in order to sign PCS voucher. Not all certificates can be used for digital signatures.

This is a known error that will be part of the update to VEN. The workaround solution for customers is to flatten their pdf files before uploading into VEN. To flatten your pdf files, follow these steps or see Instructions (Flattening a pdf File)

1. Open the pdf file
2. Click File >Print
3. From the print screen, select the drop down next to ‘printer” and select “Microsoft print to PDF’
4. Make sure ‘All’ is selected under the Pages to print section
5. A new File Explorer window will open. Name and save the file to a place you can go back and retrieve when ready to upload into VEN
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for additional files

There is currently no known solution for this error. Please submit your signed voucher (employee and supervisor signatures) to the venpcs@ibc.doi.gov support help desk.

A supplemental travel voucher submission is anytime a specific voucher claim type is submitted more than one time to IBC for processing. Example: An employee submitted an en route voucher for reimbursement that had 4 nights of lodging but only submitted lodging receipts for 3 nights. IBC would reimburse for 3 nights and inform customer to submit a supplemental en route voucher with the lodging receipt for the 4th night of lodging.

An employee may submit a supplemental voucher for the missing expenses to IBC for processing.

After supervisor successfully digitally signs voucher using their PIV card, both the employee and supervisor will receive an email with attached signed voucher notifying them that the voucher has been submitted to the Interior Business Center for processing. See the Instructional Guide (Employee_ Create a PCS Vchr_Nov20)

• From the main employee portal screen click the red ‘PCS Travel Voucher Submission’ button to check the status of your voucher.
• Under the Folders column, click the highlighted blue link of the voucher you wish to check the status of.
• You will automatically be taken to the Document history screen. The comments will reflect the date and time you and your supervisor signed the PCS voucher.
• If the voucher has been signed by the employee and supervisor, the screen will have a green banner stating ‘Signed & Submitted To IBC For Processing’.

VEN will automatically purge vouchers that have not been signed by an employee after 45 days of inactivity.

When returning a PCS voucher to the customer, the IBC accounting technician provides comments with the returned voucher on what is needed before resubmission. Example: Voucher returned to customer due to missing lodging or rental car receipts. Please see the main VEN employee portal which reflects the accounting technician name, email, and phone number. Please direct any questions you may have to this person.

After addressing the comments from the IBC accounting technician, ensuring all required content is annotated on travel voucher, and ensuring all required documents have been uploaded, your voucher will need to be re-signed and re-submitted to your supervisor for approval.

These are expenses that an employee incurred as a result of utilizing their Government Charge Card (GCC). These expenses are paid by the employee’s agency not by the employee. Examples: Rental car, lodging, air fare.

In accordance with published guidance, all PCS expenses reimbursed to an employee or paid on their behalf, are considered taxable income.

Relocating employee uses block 12 on page 1 of the OF 1012 to record these types of transactions. Since they are paid by the agency and not the employee, the total amount is not added to the travel voucher claimed amount.

You may send VEN inquiries to the venpcs@ibc.doi.gov support help desk.

Note: If your voucher has already been signed by both you and your supervisor, you may contact your IBC accounting technician. The accounting technician points of contact (Name, email, phone) is reflected on the VEN main employee portal page.