Restricted Party Screening and Visual Compliance

The U.S. Government publishes, and periodically updates, several lists that identify individuals, companies, institutions, and other entities designated as restricted parties. Some institutions are education institutions, universities, and research institutes. These restricted parties may be prohibited or restricted from engaging in certain transactions or activities with UIC such as receiving an export of U.S. technology, providing services to or receiving services from UIC, or receiving U.S. government funds. The restricted party lists are administered and enforced by several government agencies including the Department of Commerce, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury and others.

As part of UIC’s export control compliance program, UIC performs restricted party screenings to ensure UIC is not engaging in transactions with individuals, companies, institutions and other organizations, whose U.S. export privileges have been blocked, restricted, or revoked unless the transactions are authorized by the listing government agency.

UIC uses Descartes’ Visual Compliance Research Edition (“Visual Compliance”), a web-based screening tool, to conduct restricted party screenings. Visual Compliance not only provides consolidated screening against all the federally maintained restricted party lists, its Dynamic Screening function automatically and continuously rescreens all previously screened entities for changes in status and notifies the person who originally conducted the screening and the Export Controls Compliance Officer in the event of a change. Visual Compliance also maintains audit documentation that may be retrieved if needed.

We will be transitioning all existing UIC Visual Compliance users from the current Visual Compliance interface to new Visual Compliance Enterprise Research Edition interface. The new interface has enhanced search functions, training materials and best practice blogs. New UIC Visual Compliance users will be automatically registered on new Enterprise Research Edition interface.

Register to Use Visual Compliance Heading link

UIC’s objective is to have each UIC unit, college and central office trained and using Visual Compliance to conduct restricted party screenings. Individual faculty, staff, and administrators are encouraged to register and conduct restricted party screening for interactions with individuals and entities with whom they interact. The University of Illinois System has an unlimited license to use Visual Compliance.

To obtain access to Visual Compliance, please follow the self-registration instructions.

You may also send a request to the UIC Export Controls Office at uicexport@uic.edu for assistance with registration.

Training on the Use of Visual Compliance Heading link

Existing Visual Compliance users should request refresher training on the use of the Enterprise Research Edition interface. Training is required for new users of the Visual Compliance software.

Training consists of a short half hour virtual training session with the UIC Export Controls Compliance Officer. To request training, complete an Office of Research Integrity Information Session Request and check the “Restricted Party Screening and Visual Compliance Training” option under Commonly Requested Topics.

Instructions for Using Visual Compliance Heading link

For those trained, you may access basic instructions on how to conduct restricted party screenings using Visual Compliance.