Hosting International Visitors

Texas Tech 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, Texas Tech 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 Office of Export and Security Compliance 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 Office of International Affairs, International Student & Scholar Services, OESC will review all recipients of a J-1, H-1B, or O-1 visa. Review and approval from OESC is required before Texas Tech International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) may process your visa. The Export Compliance Review Process is summarized below: 

International Visitor Review Process

OESC reviews international visitors to campus. All foreign visitors require a restricted party screening to be completed prior to the scheduled visit. OESC also reviews all faculty and scholar initial and extension visa requests as a part of the submission process with ISSS. To limit the possibility of an export control violation occurring as a result of an international visit to campus, we review each visit for the following:

• Does the hosting faculty member/laboratory have controlled research projects? If so, do the applicable technology control plans need to be revised to address the visitor's presence within the lab? 
• Is the visitor or the visitor's institution a prohibited party on a U.S. Government Restricted Party List? Such lists are maintained by various federal agencies and identify persons and entities who have been convicted of export control violations.
• If a visitor or their institution is on a restricted party list or the visit presents too high of a risk of an export control violation or the relationship may be of risk for undue foreign influence, the visit may not be approved. 

Please reach out to OESC immediately 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 additional information on hosting international scholars or visitors, please see International Affairs and visit the Employing International Visitors page.