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Hosting International Visitors

UNC-Chapel Hill works to maintain an open, welcoming atmosphere where visitors and scholars from all over the world can come to learn, collaborate and perform research. In doing so, the University is also required by federal regulations to monitor assignments to its facilities of foreign persons in order to ensure that the disclosure of, and access to, export-controlled articles and related information are limited to those approved by an export authorization.

The Export Compliance office assists with required export attestations on visas, helps to ensure that licenses are either not required or are obtained for the proposed visit/visitor, and can help provide guidance on U.S. export-related regulations.

In collaboration with the Science and Security Office in UNC Research, the Export Compliance Office will review all recipients of a J-1, H-1B, or O-1 visa using the Export Compliance and Science and Security Visa Review Request Form. Review and approval from both the Export Compliance Office and Science and Security is required before UNC Global International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) may process your visa. The Export Compliance Review Process is summarized below:

Export Compliance Visa Review Process

  • Departments submit Visa Review Form to Export Compliance shared inbox. Export Compliance creates internal review case file for the Beneficiary based on the information contained within the Visa Review Form.
  • Export Compliance conducts restricted party screenings (RPS) using Visual Compliance. RPS is conducted for the Beneficiary and entities listed on their CV/résumé within the last 10 years.
  • Auto-approval will occur for visa reviews that contain no RPS alerts, who are not working on sponsored research, and are not working with any controlled technology or software. Other requests are escalated for further review.
  • Export Compliance will review the form and analyze any additional information for export control red flags. Export Compliance will approve the request if:
    1. The beneficiary’s current affiliation does not present any RPS alerts.
    2. The scope of work does not involve controlled technology or software.
    3. The work constitutes fundamental research.
    4. The review does not involve sanctioned or restricted parties
  • Approvals reflect alerts. Export Compliance will send approvals that reflect their review and determination that an export license is not required. If an export license is determined to be necessary, the review will be escalated to the Export Review Advisory Committee (ERAC).

When the export control officer encounters a transaction that requires an export license or other permission, a request to proceed with be generated for the Export Review Advisory Committee (ERAC). This committee will consist of the administrators below, each responsible for representing the associated review criterion:

  • Provost
  • Vice Chancellor for Research
  • Chief Global Officer
  • Vice Chancellor for Institutional Integrity and Risk Management
  • Legal representative

For current international scholars (i.e. faculty, researchers, visiting scholars) that have already been approved by both the Export Compliance Office, as well as Science and Security, hosting units are only required to resubmit the Export Compliance and Science and Security Visa Review Request Form as a part of extending the international scholar’s non-immigrant status. Please contact the Export Compliance Office, as well as the Science and Security Office, if your visa review submission has already been approved by both offices and any of the following changes apply:

  • There is a change in the International Scholar’s scope of work.
  • The International Scholar’s hosting unit has changed.
  • The International Scholar’s source of funding has changed.
  • The International Scholar’s hosting faculty mentor has changed.

For more information on UNC-Chapel Hill’s J-1 visa process, please see the ISSS J-1 Exchange Visitor Playbook.

For more information on Unpaid Volunteers, Interns and Visiting Scholars, please refer to the UNC-Chapel Hill Human Resources webpage.

Prior to inviting an international visitor or employee to campus, please consider the following questions:

  1. Is the visitor from a comprehensively sanctioned country?
  2. Is the visitor an employee or agent of a restricted entity?
  3. Will the visitor participate in any type of restricted research, or interact with any type of highly controlled equipment, materials, biologics, and/or software?

If you answer “yes” to any of the above questions, please contact the Export Compliance Office for assistance.