Compliance Guidelines for International Travel

Review USU’s Guidelines for International Travel 

If you are planning international university-related travel, review USU’s Guidelines for International Travel to understand your registration requirements for overseas travel, including submitting a Travel Authorization and registering your international travel with International SOS.

Report Your Overseas Destinations

When you report your international destinations as part of your International SOS registration, USU will identify any export controls and research security requirements associated with your travel. For example, your destination may be subject to U.S. government sanction or embargo that invokes certain export control requirements.

In addition to your International SOS registration, you should consult directly with the Research Integrity & Compliance Office if you anticipate travel to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, or the Donetsk or Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

Report the Items You’ll Take Overseas

Many items you may wish to take abroad, depending on the item and destination country, are subject to U.S. government export restrictions, such as the EAR or ITAR. Generally, you can travel overseas with commercially-available electronics like a laptop, cell phone, tablet, flash drive, or other storage device under the “Temporary Exports-Tools of the Trade” (TMP) exception if you verify that the devices: 

• Are being used for a professional purpose;
• Will be returned to the United States within 12 months;
• Will be kept under the effective control of the traveler while abroad (i.e., the traveler must keep the device on their person, or in a hotel safe at all times); and
• Incorporate the use of security precautions (i.e., use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections, password systems, and personal firewalls) to prevent an unauthorized release of controlled equipment, data, or software.

Obtain Approval to Travel with Sensitive Items

You should never take any of the following equipment, data, or software abroad without first consulting with and receiving approval from the Research Integrity & Compliance Office: 

• University owned equipment beyond the commercially available items mentioned above;
• Proprietary data or information received under an obligation of confidentiality;
• Patentable or classified information;
• Data or analyses that result from a project for which there are contractual constraints on the dissemination of the research results;
• Equipment, data, or software received with restrictions on export to or on access by foreign nationals;
• Equipment, data, or software that was specifically designed or modified for military or space applications; or
• Technology subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Prepare Your Devices and Data

Secure Your Devices and Data

Consider Your Conversations

Politely refuse to engage with anyone—a government official, an academic, businessperson, journalist, or student—if you think you’re being approached or targeted for your research. 

Only Present or Share Approved Materials

If you are presenting at a meeting or conference, please ensure your presentation materials only include publicly available information and data. Restricted, confidential, or controlled data should be left out of any overseas presentations. 

Report Suspicious Encounters

Notify the Research Integrity & Compliance Office (compliance@usu.edu) if you experience any of the following: 

• Suspicious encounters regarding your research;
• Interactions, even positive ones, with any government officials representing the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, or North Korea;
• Efforts to orient or recruit you to a foreign talent recruitment program;
• Someone giving you any media or electronic device (including a cell phone) before, during, or after your foreign travel; or
• Any seizure or inspection, even temporary, of your data or devices.

Check Your Devices