The Validated End-User (VEU) program is an innovative trade-facilitating program that enhances high-technology civilian trade between the United States and VEU-eligible countries (currently, China and India).  Use of Authorization VEU reduces the licensing burden on industry by allowing U.S. exporters to ship designated items to pre-approved entities under a general authorization instead of individual export licenses.

Established in 2007, the VEU Program uses a market-based approach to facilitate high-technology trade (see the 2007 rule introducing the VEU program here). The program permits entities in eligible destinations that pass a rigorous interagency review and agree to ongoing compliance obligations to receive, under Authorization VEU, the same items that they could previously receive under individual Commerce Department licenses.

The list of qualified VEUs is in Supplement No. 7 to Part 748 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The list of qualified VEUs can be accessed here. If you would like to subscribe to BIS’s email notification service that will alert you when BIS publishes rules in the Federal Register, including rules implementing changes to the VEU List, please click here.

Currently, any entity in an eligible country may apply for the VEU program.  Exporters and reexporters may also apply on behalf of entities in eligible destinations.  Applicants must clearly demonstrate the end-user’s ability to comply with the requirements of the VEU program.  Such requirements include using the items shipped under Authorization VEU for civil end-uses only and the provision of the end-user’s written consent for the U.S. Government to conduct periodic on-site reviews at VEU facilities. 

Applicants can choose which and how many facilities to include in applications for VEU status. Note that a facility authorized to receive items under VEU may not transfer the items imported under its VEU authorization to another location that has not been specifically approved for VEU status, even if that other location is part of the same corporate entity.

No. Items controlled on the Commerce Control List (Part 774 of the EAR) for missile technology (MT) or crime control (CC) reasons are not eligible to be authorized for shipment under Authorization VEU.  Additionally, items exported under Authorization VEU may not be used for any activities described in Part 744 of the EAR.  Accordingly, asserting that an item is being exported pursuant to Authorization VEU when it is destined for use in any of the activities described in Part 744 would constitute a violation of the EAR.

Further, the items eligible for shipment to each individual VEU are specified in the individual entries found in Supplement No. 7 to Part 748 of the EAR.  These are the only items that may be shipped to the VEU under Authorization VEU.  Note that within any VEU listing, certain items may be authorized for shipment to some but not all of a VEU’s eligible facilities.

As noted above, only specifically listed, eligible items may be shipped to a VEU pursuant to Authorization VEU.  In accordance with relevant statutory requirements and pursuant to Section 748.15(c) of the EAR, BIS does not authorize items controlled for missile technology (MT) or crime control (CC) reasons under the VEU program.  Additionally, pursuant to Section 748.15(d) of the EAR, items obtained under Authorization VEU may be used only for civil end-uses, and specifically not for any activities described in Part 744 of the EAR. 

Finally, exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) made under Authorization VEU are allowed only if the items’ end-user is a validated end-user.  VEUs may only: a) use the received items at their approved facility(ies) as listed in Supplement No. 7 to Part 748; b) consume the items during use; and c) transfer or reexport the items only as authorized by BIS. 

A “validated end-user” (VEU) is an entity that has been qualified as a participant in the VEU program.  For each VEU, the EAR lists “eligible destinations,” which are the specific facilities of each VEU that are authorized to receive specified eligible items under Authorization VEU.  A VEU may be listed with one or many eligible facilities, but note that VEUs may own or operate facilities that are not eligible destinations.  Facilities owned or operated by VEUs that are not specifically listed as eligible destinations in Supplement No. 7 to Part 748 of the EAR are not eligible to receive items under Authorization VEU.

Entities that will benefit the most from participation in the VEU program typically are those that place orders for dual-use items classified on the Commerce Control List, such as chemicals and electronic components, on a regular basis with U.S. exporters.  Generally speaking, qualification as a VEU will be most easily obtained by entities that already maintain export compliance systems and are experienced in complying with U.S. export control laws and regulations.

VEU-eligible destinations are currently limited to China and India while the Bureau of Industry and Security completes implementation of the VEU program.  Once the program is fully implemented, the U.S. Government may decide to make participation in the VEU program available in other countries.

End-users in eligible destinations can apply directly to the Department of Commerce for VEU authorization status or exporters or reexporters may file applications on behalf of such end-users.  Prospective VEUs must provide detailed information on how they will ensure that they are in compliance the requirements of the VEU program.  Additional information may be requested by the U.S. Government while a VEU application is being reviewed.

Once an end-user applies to be a VEU, the End-User Review Committee, which is a committee composed of representatives from multiple U.S. Government agencies, reviews the application and determines:

• If the prospective VEU is a reliable recipient of U.S. controlled items.
• If the prospective VEU meets the VEU criteria.
• If approved, which of the prospective VEU’s requested facilities would be able to receive which items under Authorization VEU.

BIS has prepared a VEU application template to assist entities requesting VEU authorization.  Additionally, Supplement No. 8 to Part 748 of the EAR outlines the information required in requests for VEU authorization.  Note that the U.S. Government may request additional information from a prospective VEU while a VEU application is being reviewed.

BIS encourages entities to submit draft VEU applications to ERC@bis.doc.gov.  BIS will review and provide comments on the draft application, and also will provide draft applications to the other members of the End-User Review Committee for review and comment, if requested by applicants.

Each application for VEU authorization must include an original statement on letterhead, signed and dated by a person who has legal authority to bind the applicant, certifying that the end-user will comply with all VEU requirements.  Furthermore, the letter must state that the end-user:

• Has been informed of and understands that the item(s) it may receive under authorization VEU will be exported in compliance with the EAR and use or diversion of such items contrary to the EAR is prohibited.
• Understands and will adhere to all authorization VEU restrictions, including the requirement that items shipped under authorization VEU will only be used for civil end-uses and will not be used for any activities described in Part 744 of the EAR.
• Will comply with VEU recordkeeping requirements.
• Agrees to allow on-site reviews by U.S. Government officials to verify the end-user’s compliance with the conditions of the VEU authorization.

Prospective VEUs must provide written certification to the U.S. Government that the items proposed for receipt under Authorization VEU will be used in accordance with VEU program restrictions, and must provide detailed information to verify compliance with the overall requirements of the VEU program (e.g., an internal compliance plan).  Additionally, VEUs are often required to comply with conditions similar to those found in individual licenses, as well as to submit regular reports on their use of the items received under Authorization VEU to the U.S. Government. 

Entities applying for qualification as a VEU must also agree to allow the U.S. Government to conduct inspections of the facility or facilities in which the U.S. origin items received under Authorization VEU will be used. These inspections are known as “on-site reviews,” and are similar to the “end-use checks” that the U.S. Government routinely conducts at facilities that have imported U.S.-origin items under individual licenses.

Requests for authorization will be accepted from exporters, reexporters, or end-users who submit to the following addresses:

The Office of Exporter Services
Bureau of Industry and Security
U.S. Department of Commerce
14^th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 2705
Washington, DC 20230

or

ERC@bis.doc.gov

There is no time limit on VEU status.  However, the U.S. Government may amend or revoke a VEU’s status at any time, as circumstances warrant.  The U.S. Government will revoke qualification as a VEU if sufficient information exists to demonstrate that an organization is no longer capable of, or is not complying with, the requirements of the VEU program.  Changes made to the VEU program and published in the Federal Register, such as eligible destination changes or other program-based amendments, might also impact the VEU status of a particular entity.

Yes, they do, pursuant to §748.15(a)(4) of the EAR.  Once in receipt of information regarding a material change, BIS provides it to the interagency End-User Review Committee for review and discussion.  The End-User Review Committee may decide to revoke or amend VEU authorization based on such reports.

Yes. VEUs can request amendments to their authorizations at any time.  Such requests should be submitted to BIS and should include a complete explanation of the requested amendment and of the basis for it.

The list of qualified VEUs (found in Supplement No. 8 to Part 748 of the EAR) is updated on an as-needed basis to accommodate the qualification of new entities in the VEU program as well as amendments to existing VEU authorizations.

During the first three years of the program (2007-2010), the Bureau of Industry and Security interacted on a regular basis with participants in the VEU program.  In addition to e-mail and telephone contact, BIS and certain of its interagency colleagues held meetings with VEUs and visited VEU facilities.

No. Authorization VEU can also be used for the reexport and transfer (in-country) of qualified items from a location outside of the United States to a VEU.

No. Only the facilities at the addresses specifically listed in Supplement No. 8 to Part 748 of the EAR are eligible end-users for items shipped under Authorization VEU. 

Yes. Authorization VEU is available for export from the United States, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of the items specified for each VEU in the list of “Eligible Items (by ECCN)” found in Supplement No. 8 to Part 748 of the EAR. If the item was legally exported or reexported to an eligible destination and is an “eligible item” for another VEU, it may be transferred within the same country to the other VEU’s eligible facilities under Authorization VEU.

No, not under Authorization VEU.  If the item is not an “eligible item,” Authorization VEU is not applicable.  If the item requires a license for export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) to the VEU, such a shipment will require a different kind of authorization (e.g., an individual license or a license exception, if available).  VEUs are only authorized to receive the items that are specifically listed by Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) in Supplement No. 8 to Part 748 of the EAR under Authorization VEU. All other items are subject to standard EAR licensing requirements.

The guidance in §750.7(i) of the EAR (“Terminating license conditions”) applies to items authorized for shipment under Authorization VEU.  If an item authorized for shipment under Authorization VEU as an “eligible item” no longer requires a license for export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) to VEU eligible destinations as the result of a change to the Commerce Control List (Part 774 of the EAR), then the conditions and limitations of the VEU program and of the VEU’s specific VEU authorization no longer apply to the shipment or to the ongoing use by the VEU of the affected item as of the date of the final publication of the rule implementing the lessening or elimination of export control requirements.

The End-User Review Committee (ERC), composed of representatives of the Departments of State, Defense, Energy, and Commerce, and other agencies as appropriate, is responsible for determining whether to add to, to remove from, or otherwise amend the list of VEUs and associated eligible items. The Department of Commerce chairs the ERC.

Supplement No. 9 to Part 748 of the EAR outlines the ERC procedures specific to the VEU program.

The application review process for the VEU program is extensive; ERC agencies’ reviews of VEU candidates are detailed.  ERC agencies typically have numerous additional questions for prospective VEUs, and applicants should be prepared to devote a substantial amount of time to providing the requested information.  These factors increase the length of time is takes to process VEU applications.  The Department of Commerce is working hard with its ERC partners to decrease the processing times for VEU applications and amendments and to keep the time spent processing applications to the minimum.

Yes, applicants can ask the ERC to reconsider decisions with respect to the disposition of their own applications, and VEUs may ask the ERC to reconsider decisions with respect to amendments of their own VEU authorizations.  The ERC asks that any such request be made in writing and include information additional to that already provided to the ERC and specific to the basis for the request for reconsideration.

The U.S. Government confers regularly with the governments of VEU-approved countries on the VEU program as well as many other topics of bilateral interest.

You should call the End-User Review Committee at (202) 482-5991 or send an e-mail to ERC@bis.doc.gov.

For purposes of the EAR, a commercial shipment to a U.S. Embassy located outside the United States is an export or reexport to the country in which the U.S. Embassy is located (the host country). For example, a shipment from the United States to the U.S. Embassy in Germany is an export to Germany. BIS may require a license under the EAR for such an export, based on the classification of the items involved and the license requirements applicable to the particular host country.

Yes. These shipments are exports because they are being shipped to destinations outside the United States. License requirements are those that are applicable to the destination. Certain license exceptions may also be available.

Like shipments to U.S. embassies overseas, shipments to non-U.S. Embassies outside the United States are exports or reexports to the host country. For example, an export from the United States to the French Embassy in Germany is an export to Germany. License requirements are those that are applicable to the host country. There may also be relevant license exception availability (see below).

Note, however, that BIS does not treat the shipment of items via official diplomatic pouch to an embassy or consulate in a third country (host country) as a transaction covered by the destination-based licensing requirements set forth in the EAR. So long as the items remain within the ownership and control of the embassy or consulate in the host country, no license is required under the EAR. The items may also be returned to the home country via diplomatic pouch or shipped to other foreign embassies and consulates via diplomatic pouch without authorization from BIS. However, if the embassy or consulate resells or disposes of the items locally in the host country, licensing requirements set forth in the EAR for exports to the host country would be implicated. Similarly, reselling or disposing the items to end users outside of the host country would implicate reexport licensing requirements set forth in the EAR, to the extent the items are not shipped via diplomatic pouch.

See June 5, 2006 Advisory Opinion Regarding Exports and Reexports to non-U.S. embassies located in third countries.

For purposes of the EAR, shipments to embassies abroad are considered exports or reexports to the host country. License requirements for exports or reexports to the home country of the embassy are not directly applicable. However, exporters are reminded to pay particular attention to the presence of “red flags” as described in Supplement No. 3 to part 732 of the EAR. Information about a proposed transaction may suggest that the embassy is not the true ultimate destination of the shipment. For purposes of the EAR, the export or reexport of items subject to the EAR that will be transshipped in a country or countries to a new country or are intended for reexport to the new country are deemed to be exports to the new country.

Yes, exports to non-U.S. embassies outside the United States may be eligible for License Exception GOV as described in Section 740.11 of the EAR.

GOV also authorizes the export of certain items to a “diplomatic or consular mission” of a cooperating government for official use within the territory of a country in Country Group B (Supplement No. 1 to Part 740 of the EAR). Cooperating governments are those listed in Country Group A:1 (Supplement No. 1 to part 740 of the EAR) as well as the governments of Argentina, Austria, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, and Taiwan. For example, GOV would authorize certain exports to the French Embassy in India because France is a cooperating government and India is a Country Group B country.

GOV does not authorize, however, the export of items to cooperating government embassies located outside of cooperating government or Country Group B destinations. For example, an export to the French Embassy in Belarus would not be authorized under GOV because while France is a cooperating government, Belarus is not listed in Country Group B. Such exports may, however, be eligible for other License Exceptions, including License Exception CIV (Section 740.5 of the EAR) which authorizes certain exports for civilian use in Country Group D countries.

Items eligible to be exported or reexported pursuant to these provisions of License Exception GOV are described in Supplement No. 1 to Section 740.11 of the EAR.

Most transactions involving the export or reexport of items subject to the EAR to host countries that are subject to multilateral or unilateral economic sanctions require a license, as described in the specific regulatory provisions relevant to each such destination, generally found in Parts 742 and/or 746 of the EAR. However, if a host country is subject to economic sanctions implemented by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC), regulations maintained by OFAC may also restrict the transaction. Exporters are advised to contact OFAC for further clarification. OFAC may be contacted at 1-800-540-6322.

For purposes of the EAR, shipments to embassies abroad are considered exports or reexports to the host country, even in the case of an embassy of a country subject to multilateral or unilateral economic sanctions. However, regulations maintained by OFAC may also restrict a transaction of this nature. Exporters are advised to contact OFAC for further clarification. OFAC may be contacted at 1-800-540-6322.

• Internet access.
• A Company Identification Number (CIN) and an active user account.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher with Active Scripting, session cookies, and PDF file download enabled (which is Internet Explorer’s default setting during installation).
• A PDF Reader, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, if you want to read previously uploaded supporting documents on-line.
• Adobe Acrobat Writer or another utility capable of creating PDF files if you want to upload supporting documents.

Go to the On-line Registration Page where you will be instructed on how to obtain a CIN.

• If you are the first of your company and therefore the one requesting the CIN, you will be instructed on how to activate a user account while obtaining the CIN via email. You need to use the link sent in the email to activate the account.
• If your CIN has already been established, contact your　SNAP-R Account Administrator　and they will assist you in setting up a user account.
• If your CIN has already been established but your　SNAP-R Account Administrator　is no longer with your company –　and　– there is at least one other active user for your company: contact the SNAP-R Help Desk for assistance. Someone from the SNAP-R Help Desk will be able to update the existing user to be the account administrator and then that user will be able to add you to the existing CIN.
• If your CIN has already been established but your SNAP-R Account Administrator is no longer with your company – and – there are no other active users for your company: For security reasons, the SNAP-R Help Desk does not create new users for a company, so you will need to reregister using the on-line registration process.

To provide for secure data transmission https is the only supported protocol (you cannot log in via http://).

PINs are no longer required in setting up user accounts so the term “PIN holders” is no longer used. User accounts are now referred to as “Users.”

Due to the implementation of the on-line registration system, certification letters are no longer required and companies no longer need to claim what type of company they are during the registration process (all new registrants are considered to be First Party).

A First Party is an exporter and/or company that submit an application, classification request, and/or notification to BIS for their company.

A Third Party is an exporter and/or company that submit an application, classification request, and/or notification to BIS on behalf of another company.

The information will be collected during the Work Item submission process. An indicator has been added within SNAP-R allowing every company to submit Work Items as either a First or Third Party.

The system will default the Work Item Party Indicator on new submissions as follows:

• If you registered your company using the on-line registration process, all new Work Item submissions regardless of how it is generated (original or reused) will default to First Party.
• If you were registered prior to the on-line registration process and your user account is designated as a First Party, all new Work Item submissions regardless of how it is generated (original or reused) will default to First Party.
• If you were registered prior to the on-line registration process and your user account is designated as a Third Party, all new Work Item submissions regardless of how it is generated (original or reused) will default to Third Party.

Remember, no matter what the Work Item party indicator is defaulted to, you always have the option to change it.

A Work Item is one of the four types of submissions that can be made through SNAP-R: applications for export licenses, applications for re-export licenses, requests for commodity classifications, and requests for agriculture exception notices.

SNAP-R will use your email address to notify you of any messages sent to you by BIS concerning Work Items you have submitted. These include acknowledgements of the receipt of your Work Item submissions, requests for additional information, and validation and license approval notices. The texts of these messages are not included in the emails, you must log into SNAP-R to view them.

Additionally, your email address is utilized to notify you when the SNAP-R Account Administrator resets your password or that your email address has been changed (one goes to the old address and one to the new address verifying the change was requested).

All communications between your browser and SNAP-R are encrypted, as are all communications between BIS employees and SNAP-R. Your browser should indicate that it is communicating using the secure HTTP protocol (“https”). In Internet Explorer 6.0, this is indicated by an icon of a closed padlock on your web browser’s status bar at the bottom right of the browser window. For other browsers, see the help documentation to determine how it indicates that secure communication is taking place.

You may contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227.

A SNAP-R Account Administrator has the authority to do the following:

• Submit applications, classification requests, and notifications to BIS on behalf of the company just as any user would;
• Add new individual users who will be able to submit applications, classification requests, and notifications to BIS on behalf of the company;
• Deactivate the user account of any existing individual user who has been authorized to submit on behalf of the company;
• Reactivate the account of any individual user whose account was previously deactivated;
• Designate any individual user who has the power to submit on behalf of the company as an account administrator who will have all of the powers described in this statement;
• Remove account administrator authority from any user designated as an account administrator for the company;
• Update the company's identifying information such as name and address as listed in its SNAP-R account;
• Update the identifying information such as name and telephone number of any individual user who is authorized to submit on behalf of the company; and
• Reset passwords of individual users who are authorized to submit on behalf of the company.

No. The SNAP-R Account Administrator does not have access or authority over work-items.

No. There is no limit to the number of account administrators.

As per Section 748 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), BIS set forth the duty and responsibility of keeping accounts current to the user. Therefore set up a new role of Account Administrator within SNAP-R for companies to do so and have some control on who is allowed to make changes to their own information.

BIS established a deadline of 120 days from the effective date of the final rule (see above) for someone from a company who had registered using the prior paper-process to accept the role of account administrator.

• From February 9, 2011 – June 9, 2011: users were allowed access to their account without anyone from their company having to accept the role.
• From June 10, 2011 – September 8, 2011: users are denied access to their account until someone from their company accepts the role of account administrator. Once the account administrator role for said company is filled, every user for that company will have access to their account.
• From September 9, 2011 – forward: the company will need to reregister using the on-line registration process, at which time the person filling out the form will automatically be assigned the role of account administrator.

See above.

In order to use SNAP-R there must be at least one account administrator.

For preexisting accounts, as an additional security measure, these three functions will not be available for the first two weeks from the date the initial account administrator role is filled. BIS wanted to make sure companies had enough time to correct rogue employees from claiming those rights and locking other users out of the system. If a password needs to be reset or accounts need to be terminated in the interim, contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227. Updates to email addresses will need to wait for the two weeks to pass, as the SNAP-R Help Desk does not have authority to update information due to system security measures.

If possible, you can have them update a current user to be an administrator and then the new administrator can remove the administrator functions from the user who initially claimed the role. – or – You can contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227 for assistance.

Contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227 and they will re-enable the “Claim Administrator” function, then another user will need to log into SNAP-R and claim the role of administrator.

If you already have an Applicant ID and PIN, you do not need to reregister as long as you do so by June 9, 2011 [refer to 748 of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)]. To obtain access to SNAP-R, click on the Create SNAP-R Login ID and Password link, located on the SNAP-R homepage. You will then need to enter your Applicant ID and PIN, and select a Login ID and password.

After June 9, 2011 you will need to reregister using the on-line registration process.

Check with your SNAP-R Account Administrator for assistance.

If an account administrator for your company has not been established, another user from your company will need to do so otherwise you may contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail atsnapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227. Note: Please do not include your CIN and Login ID in any email. The SNAP-R Help Desk can both retrieve your Login ID and reset your password. After a password reset, you are required to change your password again from the User Profile Management screen.

Check with your SNAP-R Account Administrator for assistance. If your SNAP-R Account Administrator is not available, contact the Office of Exporter Services at 202-482-4811, 949-660-0144 or 408-998-8806.

Yes. From the Work Item overview page for the Work Item in question, click on the "Manage User Rights" link. From this link you can assign permissions for any Work Item under your control to any other SNAP-R users within your company, regardless of whether or not that Work Item has been submitted. More information is available from the ‘SNAP-R Manual for Exporters’, which is available from the SNAP-R home page (the page displayed after you first log into the system). A direct link to the relevant section of that document is provided on the "Manage User Rights" page.

You can contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227. They will be able to assist in the reassignment of ownership of the affected Work Items to any other SNAP-R user within your company, allowing these Work Items to be viewed, edited, and submitted by that user. This situation can be avoided by having a policy of giving at least two people administrative rights to each Work Item.

Your account administrator can update your account with the company’s new address within the SNAP-R Administration module.

BIS no longer requires you to obtain a new CIN; all you need to do is have the account administrator for your account update the company’s address information via the SNAP-R Administration module.

BIS no longer requires you to obtain a new CIN; all you need to do is have the account administrator for your account update the company’s name via the SNAP-R Administration module.

BIS no longer requires you to obtain a new CIN; all you need to do is have the account administrator for your account update the company’s name via the SNAP-R Administration module.

Simply have the account administrator for your account update the company’s name in the SNAP-R Administration module.

You need to register the company via the on-line registration process. Though you will be assigned the roll of account administrator for the company and given instructions on setting up the user account within SNAP-R, you don’t necessarily need to complete that step of the process to obtain a CIN (though it is advised to do so in the event that the company moves and you need to update the information at some later point in time).

Note: any company that has submitted an application to BIS will already have a BIS assigned CIN on file and, if requested, the applicant and/or third party company may verify this information by contacting the Office of Exporter Services 202-482-4811, 949-660-0144 or 408-998-8806.

The email may have been flagged as spam so try the following in order:

• Check your spam folder
• Trust emails from the snapr.bis.doc.gov domain
• Contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227.

There is an expiration of five (5) days for each of the following actions:

• Email verification
• Setting up a new account
• New user creation
• Resetting of passwords

If the five (5) days have passed, then the action must be resubmitted (i.e. reregister, ask the SNAP-R Account Administrator to reset the password, etc.).

BIS sends out three types of messages pertaining to individual Work Items:

• Acknowledgement. This message type informs you of intermediate status changes to the Work Item in question. One intermediate status is Accepted (the application has been received by BIS and accepted for processing). An acknowledgement of acceptance will include the ACN (Application Control Number) for that application. A Work Item may also be rejected, if it could not be processed due to inaccurate or incomplete information, which is also communicated to the user as an acknowledgement.
• Validation. This message type informs you of final status changes to the Work Item in question. The four final statuses are Approved (license granted), Approved with Conditions (license granted with conditions that need to be adhered to), Return without Action (no license was issued, often times because the application was 'cancelled' per the exporter's request - see question 8), and Denied. If the Work Item was approved, a license is also issued and is part of the validation.
• Request. This message type informs you that further information is needed by BIS in order to further process the Work Item in question. You can respond with a text message and can optionally attach documents. This is the only message type to which you can directly respond to.

It was determined that the Licensing Officers do not want open ended message threads between them and Exporter Users. For each message sent from the Licensing Officer, there is only one reply allowed from an Exporter. The Licensing Officer must initiate the message. When the Work Item has been validated, then the message flow will be closed (even if the Exporter has not replied to a message from the Licensing Officer). Note: The Licensing Officer may initiate a new message after the Work Item has been validated and the exporter may reply.

At this present time, BIS only accepts PDF (Portable Document Format) documents. This requirement guarantees that BIS employees can view any submitted document, since BIS does not have access to the numerous specialized pieces of software that exporters or manufacturers use to generate their documentation. In addition, the possibility of a virus being transmitted with formats like Microsoft Word poses a security concern.

Yes, but not directly. You can contact the Office of Export Services at 202-482-4811, 949-660-0144 or 408-998-8806 who will notify the BIS licensing officer assigned to the application (case) and inform them of the problem. The licensing officer will subsequently mark your application “Returned without Action” (RWA), which is a rejection of your application without prejudice to future resubmissions of that application. You can then copy your application, correct the error(s), and resubmit it to BIS.

Yes, but not directly. You can contact the Office of Export Services at 202-482-4811, 949-660-0144 or 408-998-8806 who will notify the BIS licensing officer assigned to the application (case) and inform them of the problem. The licensing officer will subsequently send you a message requesting the documentation. You can then attach the documentation to your response.

Yes. From the ‘Create Work Item’ page, click on the button labeled ‘Search to Reuse’, and search for the Work Item you want to reuse. In the search result page, click the ‘Reuse’ link associated to that Work Item. On the ‘Copy and Reuse Work Item’ page, choose and enter a new Reference Number (as if you were creating a new Work Item from scratch) and click on the ‘Create’ button. A new Work Item will be created with the same content as the parent copy. Remember to update the new Work Item with any changes before submitting it to BIS. Please note that documents attached to the original Work Item are not copied and attached to the new Work Item by default.

Yes. From the Work Item overview page, click on the ‘View [and Manage] Supporting Documents’ link and then click on ‘Search Documents for Reuse’ to search for an existing document. In the search results table, click on the ‘Reuse’ button next to the document that you wish to attach to the current Work Item, so you can reuse a document previously submitted.

No. Before leaving your computer unattended for any period of time, click the ‘Save Page’ button to save your work. Saving your Work Item is not the same as submitting it; your Work Item will remain in Draft status and you will still be able to make changes to it.

For security reasons, SNAP-R browser sessions are automatically expired (logged out) after sixty (60) minutes of inactivity between your browser and the SNAP-R server. For this reason, you should click on ‘Save Page’ from time to time while you are in the process of editing a Work Item.

There are several types of help available:

• The entire help document SNAP-R On-line Help for Exporters can be viewed by clicking on the ‘Help’ button on the left-hand navigation bar, and then clicking on ‘Table of Contents.’
• SNAP-R has one or more help icons on most of its pages. Placing the mouse cursor over a help icon will cause a ‘tool tip,’ or brief help message, to be displayed.
• Clicking on one of the help icons will open the SNAP-R On-line Help for Exporters manual to the section that is relevant to the context in which the help icon is displayed.

You can contact the SNAP-R Help Desk via e-mail at snapr@bis.doc.gov or phone at (202) 482-2227. They will be able to answer whatever questions you might have about the process of submitting Work Items through SNAP-R. If you have encountered an error, please be sure that you tell them what you were doing before the error message was displayed. This will help us to correct these problems in a more time-efficient manner.

• Your SNAP-R Application Administrator(s) has the ability to inactivate user accounts.
• You must send a written request on company letterhead signed by an officer of the company, who is authorized to bind the company to the conditions and obligations as set forth on during the SNAP-R registration process.
• Provide the CIN, the name of the user to be inactivated and the user to receive the access rights. Access to SNAP-R Work Items is only permissible for those individuals with user accounts associated with the same company identification number. The user who creates the Work Item is the owner of the Work Item and by default is initially granted sole administrative rights to the Work Item. Important Note: SNAP-R users should establish additional user access for every Work Item submitted to BIS by selecting the ‘Manage User Rights’ link from either the ‘View’, ‘Edit’ or ‘Submit’ Work Item screens to ensure that multiple users for the same CIN have access to each Work Item. This access should minimize future access issues when the Work Item originator is either not available or has terminated employment with the company and the need arises for another individual in the company to access the Work Item.

Once you have submitted your Work Item to BIS, you should check your Work Item acknowledgment queue to obtain your BIS status. A Work Item that has been successfully registered into the BIS licensing system will be assigned a seven character Application Control Number (ACN). The format of the ACN is the alpha character ‘Z’ followed by six numerals. When contacting BIS regarding a registered Work Item submission, please only communicate the ACN. The application reference number should only be referenced if your Work Item submission is rejected by BIS as denoted in the Work Item acknowledgment.

• Each subsidiary company must obtain a CIN using the on-line registration system.
• You must have at least one employee representing the parent company establish a user account for each subsidiary company (CIN) they wish to have access to their SNAP-R Work Items. [Note: Parent companies that do not want their subsidiaries to have SNAP-R accounts must know that their subsidiaries will not have access to any parent company Work Item submissions.] - or - You can submit Third Party Work Items for your subsidiaries.

This information should be provided only if your original application was Returned without Action. Do not use Block 10, if your submission was previously rejected without being registered by BIS.

If already assigned by BIS, obtain the CIN from the First Party (exporter or re-exporter) on whose behalf they are submitting the applications, or have the First Party register the company via the online registration process to obtain the CIN.

Foreign parties are not authorized to submit export license applications as this Work Item type is only permissible by a domestic US party. A foreign party subsidiary cannot submit an Export License Application on behalf of their US parent company.