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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 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 to provide guidance on U.S. export control regulations.

In collaboration with the Science and Security Office, the Export Compliance Office will review all recipients of a J-1, H-1B, H-1B1, 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 Office is required before UNC Global International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) may process your visa.

Export Compliance Visa Review Process

  • The hosting unit submits an Export Compliance and Science and Security Visa Review Request Form to the Export Compliance shared inbox. Export Compliance creates an internal review case file for the beneficiary based on the information contained within the form.
  • Export Compliance conducts restricted party screening (RPS) using the Visual Compliance software. RPS is conducted for the beneficiary and their affiliations listed on a CV/résumé.
  • Export Compliance will review the form and analyze any additional information for export control red flags. Export Compliance will approve the request if:
    • no RPS alerts have been received for the beneficiary and their affiliations;
    • the beneficiary’s work assignment does not involve export-controlled technology or software; and
    • the beneficiary’s work constitutes fundamental research.
  • Export Compliance will send approvals that reflect their review and determination that an export license is not required. Approvals will reflect RPS alerts, if any. If an export license is determined to be necessary, the review will be escalated to the Export Review Advisory Committee (ERAC).

When the Export Compliance Office reviewer encounters a transaction that requires an export license or other form of government authorization, 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

For current international scholars (i.e., faculty, researchers, visiting scholars) that have already been approved by both the Export Compliance Office and Science and Security Office, 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.
Questions about the Export Compliance and Science and Security Visa Review Request Form? Review our these commonly asked questions and contact our office if you need further guidance.

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 a restricted party or an employee/agent of a restricted entity?
  3. Will the visitor participate in any type of restricted research, or interact with any type of highly controlled items (equipment, materials, biologics, chemicals, software, etc.)?

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