Foreign Access Management

Acknowledging the important contributions towards U.S. scientific, research, and other mission objectives, the Department offers foreign national visitors and guests access to its facilities, resources and activities to facilitate a broad range of collaborative activities. This access, however, must be balanced with the need to protect critical or otherwise controlled government information.

The Department employs foreign access management concepts to meet its obligation to safeguard critical information from loss or compromise. Effective foreign access management is achieved through the uniform implementation of Department Administrative Order (DAO) 207-12: Foreign Access Management Program.

To Whom Does DAO 207-12 Apply?

All foreign national visitors or guests granted physical or logical access to Department facilities, resources or activities, with a few exceptions:

Lawful permanent residents or protected persons
Foreign nationals employed by the Department who reside and work at Department facilities outside the United States
Foreign national diplomats/senior government officials at the ambassadorial or vice-ministerial level or above who visit Department officials for the purpose of high-level policy dialogue as determined by OSY
Foreign nationals who visit Departmental facilities during public events/activities or in areas which are associated with organized events predetermined to be open to the public

Visitor or Guest?

Foreign national visitors are those individuals accessing Department facilities, assets, activities, or resources for 14 or fewer calendar days in a consecutive 12-month period.

Foreign national guests are those individuals accessing Department facilities, assets, activities, or resources for 15 or more calendar days in a consecutive 12-month period.

Foreign National Visitors

For access coordination, sponsors of foreign national visitors are required to contact the Security Service Center (SSC) at least 24 hours prior to arrival.

Employer sponsors of foreign national visitors must complete the Foreign National Visitor and Guest Departmental Sponsor Briefing (Commerce personnel only), sign the acknowledgement page at the end of the briefing and email it to security@doc.gov. Sponsors must also provide the personal information of their foreign national visitors by using the Foreign National Request Form (Commerce personnel only) and sending it by email to security@doc.gov, or delivering it by hand to the SSC.

Process to Sponsor/Host a Foreign National Visitor

Department employees may sponsor or host a foreign national visitor by submitting Foreign National Request Form | OSY Form 207-12-A (Commerce personnel only) or equivalent bureau or operating unit automated business application to their Field Service Security Office at least 24 hours in advance of the requested access.

Foreign national visitors shall be registered and under continuous escort or observation by their designated sponsor, host or delegated escort when accessing Department facilities throughout the visit.

Process to Sponsor/Host a Foreign National Guest

Department employees who are U.S. citizens may sponsor or host a foreign national guest by submitting a properly completed Foreign National Request Forms | OSY Form 207-12-A and B (Commerce personnel only) or equivalent bureau or operating unit automated business application to their senior bureau official and Field Service Support Office at least 30 calendar days in advance of the requested access.

The sponsor or host must:

Complete the annual Foreign National Sponsor Training (Commerce personnel only) to maintain sponsor/host eligibility.
Complete, sign and submit Attachment 1 of DAO 207-12 (Commerce personnel only) to their senior bureau official for endorsement and forwarding to their Field Service Security Office for approval and record retention.
Ensure Attachment 2 of DAO 207-12 (Commerce personnel only) is satisfactorily completed by the Foreign National Guest and forwarded to the Field Service Security Office within three days of guest arrival.

The Personal Identity Verification-Interoperable (PIV-I) credential is the alternative credential standard for issuance to Foreign National Guests granted physical or logical access to Department facilities, resources or activities for greater than 179 cumulative days.

Bureaus and operating units are responsible for the issuance of temporary facility access control badges to Foreign National Guests not meeting the physical or logical access requirements for PIV-I credential issuance.

Departmental Sponsors

A Department employee who is a U.S. citizen designated in writing as accountable for the security oversight of all activities associated with the successful accomplishment of a specific foreign national visit or guest assignment.

A Departmental sponsor or host shall:

Comply with all requirements for access approval and conduct, including providing timely, complete, and accurate information regarding the visit to the Field Servicing Security Office.
Take all reasonable steps to ensure a Foreign National Visitor or Guest is given access only to information necessary for the successful completion of the defined visit.
Prior to the arrival of a Foreign National Guest, ensure all personnel assigned within the applicable program or workspace, are informed of the Guest’s role, duration of visit, scope of authorized physical and logical access, and procedures for reporting unauthorized or questionable activity.
Take all reasonable steps to prevent physical, visual, and logical access to classified, controlled unclassified, proprietary, or not-for-public release data, information, technology or software by a foreign national visitor or guest.
Take all reasonable steps to ensure that a foreign national visitor or guest does not engage in unauthorized use of personal communication, photographic, recording, or other electronic devices in those areas of Departmental facilities where classified, controlled unclassified, proprietary, or not-for-public release data, information, technology or software is present and generally ensure that such electronic devices are not used without explicit authorization.
Immediately report suspicious activities or anomalies involving foreign national visitors or guests to the Field Service Security Office.
Promptly notify the Field Service Security Office if there is a change to the arrival or departure date of a foreign national visitor or guest.

Senior Bureau Official

Bureaus shall formally designate in writing a senior technical or administrative official, and alternate(s). Copies of the senior bureau official or designated official designations shall be provided to OSY when effective and/or upon request.

The senior bureau official or designated official, in conjunction with the bureau’s operating units, reviews requests for access submitted by Department sponsors to ensure these requests include a complete description of the proposed collaboration requiring foreign national guest access to Department facilities, staff and information. The senior bureau official or designated official must consider whether the sponsoring office has documented that the value gained from the proposed collaborative effort is compatible with the need to protect classified, controlled unclassified, proprietary, not for-public release data, information, technology, source code or software, and when appropriate, shall endorse the request as demonstrating that the proposed access provides a tangible benefit to the mission success of the bureau and is in the best interest of the Department.

Field Service Security Office

The Field Service Security Office is immediately responsible to OSY for the delivery of effective security services, guidance, and oversight consistent with this order in direct support of their servicing bureau or operating unit.

Contact your Field Service Security Office for any information or questions related to foreign access management policy, procedures, guidance or training.