Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset – CSV import in Jira Align

Question

Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset – CSV import in Jira Align
Goal: successfully import PI planning dates from a CSV file that may contain dates expressed in local wall‑clock time without an explicit time‑zone offset, while preserving correct UTC storage and UI display according to each user’s profile time zone.
Constraint: the import engine currently rejects any date string lacking an offset, throwing the error “Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset”. This can cause off‑by‑one day shifts during daylight‑saving transitions if the source file uses local time.

Should the import engine be modified to infer the user’s profile time zone when an offset is missing?
Would it be preferable to require the CSV author to supply an explicit offset and provide a clear validation message instead?
Could a fallback mode be added that treats missing‑offset values as UTC, with an optional conversion step based on the importer’s time zone?

Muntasir · Answer

Answer
Require the CSV author to supply an explicit time‑zone offset; do not modify the import engine to infer offsets or treat missing offsets as UTC.
Likely explanation
The import engine’s strict validation prevents ambiguous dates that could shift by an hour during daylight‑saving transitions. Inferring the user’s profile time zone would be unreliable when the import is run by a system account or scheduled task, and treating missing offsets as UTC would silently change the intended local date.
Confirmed facts

Jira Align stores all dates internally in UTC and displays them according to each user’s profile time zone.
The current parser rejects any date string lacking an offset with the message “Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset”.
Providing an explicit offset (e.g., 2026-10-13T08:10:30+02:00) yields the correct UTC value and proper UI display.

Steps for this case

Open the CSV file in a text editor or spreadsheet.
Ensure every date column uses ISO 8601 format with a time‑zone offset, for example 2026-10-13T08:10:30+02:00.
Save the file and re‑run the import in Jira Align.
If the import still fails, verify that the offset matches the intended local time (adjust the offset if the source data is in a different zone).

Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset – CSV import in Jira Align

Date value cannot be parsed: expected ISO 8601 format with time zone offset – CSV import in Jira Align

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