1.17 Foreign Visitor Policy

Effective: 02/27/2020

Senate Proposal: No

Responsible University Officer: Vice President for Research

Responsible Office: Vice President for Research Office

Policy Statement

Hosting of foreign visitors on campus is valuable and important to the University's mission. In order to ensure compliance with relevant federal regulations and University policies, all invitations for foreign visitors to campus require prior approval by the responsible university officer listed on this policy.

All foreign visitors must sign a visitor agreement that outlines the details of their visit prior to being allowed on campus.

Definitions:

A foreign visitor is any individual who falls under either of the following criteria:

Someone who is not a United States citizen, permanent resident (aka "Green Card" holder), or protected individual (refugee or political asylee)
Someone who is a United States citizen or permanent resident who either represents, or is an employee of, a foreign interest.

A foreign interest is any:

foreign government, agency of a foreign government (including government-run institutions/universities), or a representative of a foreign government;
form of business enterprise or legal entity organized, chartered, or incorporated under the laws of any country other than the US or its possessions and trust territories; or
person who is not a citizen or national of the United States.

Foreign Visitor Procedure

The university host will complete the Foreign Visitor Request Form and the draft invitation. The responsible office will review the request and either approve or deny the request. On a case-by-case basis, where a visitor would be involved with academic programs, the responsible office may delegate visitor approval to the Office of the Provost and Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Once a visitor has been approved by the responsible office, an official invitation will be sent along with a description of the visit (including duration, allowed activities, and any safety or training requirements) and a general agreement (covering aspects that apply to all foreign visitors, such as liability, intellectual property, and other concerns). Official invitations are to be sent by either the vice president of the responsible office or the Michigan Tech general counsel's office on behalf of the University. Visitors must agree to the terms outlined in the letter and agreement prior to arriving on campus.

The current workflow, forms, and sample agreements will be available online through the responsible office.