The U.S. Government maintains various lists of foreign persons and entities for which there are restrictions on conducting official and unofficial business. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Directorate of Defense Trade Control (DDTC), and the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) recommends that these lists be reviewed to ensure that a proposed meeting and/or a technical or financial transaction does not violate the U.S. export control laws and regulations.
UMBC departments who sponsor visitors are responsible for ensuring that all foreign persons/nationals or entities planning to visit the UMBC campus, in a business or technical capacity, have been screened *prior* to their arrival, to confirm that the person or entity does not appear on any of multi-country agency lists of denied/excluded parties and that the visitor’s proposed agenda complies with relevant federal laws. All such foreign visitors are screened against federal lists, i.e., the Specially Designated National and Blocked Person List (SDN), the Denied Person List, the Entity List, the unverified list and the Debarred Party list through the UMBC’s restricted party screening (RPS) system before the visitor arrives. The Office of Research Protections and Compliance (ORPC) can assist departments with the screening process.
Foreign Visitor Screening Process
1) When to request foreign visitor screening
The foreign visitor restricted party screening form must be completed before sending an invitation, submitting an unpaid or paid appointment for UMBC approval and before the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) applies for a visa, including F, H-1B, J-1, etc. Please review the ISSS website regarding the processing time for faculty/scholars (H-1B & J-1) or admitted students (F-1) visa applications.
To perform this screening, the ORPC needs:
- The completed foreign visitor restricted party screening form
- Emailed versions (sent to compliance@umbc.edu) of:
- A copy of the visitor’s current CV or resume
- The scope of work that describes the visitor’s proposed activity at UMBC
- A list of equipment, software or other tools/devices the visitor may use during the proposed activity
UMBC host departments may generate other documents that are much broader in use for export control. These are not required for visitor screening
- UMBC visitor’s agreement
- Academic appointment letters / letter of invitation
Allow for five (5) business days for the ORPC to perform export control foreign visitor screening. Additional information and/or time may be required if there is an issue with the individual or entity being screened.
2) Foreign visitors who must be screened
- Visitors who are nationals/citizens of Iran, Sudan, Syria, Cuba or North Korea must undergo foreign entity screening regardless of length of stay and regardless of the activity in which they will be participating at UMBC.
- All other foreign visitors including tenured faculty, research faculty, technicians, post-doctoral candidates, students, student interns, business visitors or other faculty and staff categories. Regardless of length of stay, if such person will collaborate or participate in UMBC research or training in the biological or physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, information security (including encryption), software development, or related technologies and fields, whether or not the collaboration occurs within the scope of a sponsored research agreement, they must undergo screening. Examples of departments at UMBC include Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, Mechanical Engineering, and Physics
Use the foreign visitor restricted party screening form procedure stated above.
3) Foreign visitors who do not require screening
- Screening is not required for students who have applied, been accepted and/or are enrolled in any degree granting program that the University of Maryland, Baltimore County offers;
- Screening is not required for foreign visitors who provide documentation they hold permanent resident alien status in the U.S. (i.e., hold a green card) or have been granted asylum or refugee status by the U.S.