The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has announced the updated Standard Form (SF) 328, Certificate Pertaining to Foreign Interests, approved on May 1, 2025, which includes several improvements to increase users’ clarity and understanding of the questions and subsequent requirements.  The updated form features better-scoped questions, comprehensive instructions, definitions, and a Statement of Full Disclosure of Foreign Affiliations used to report foreign employment.  The improvements will reduce processing timelines by ensuring the right information is provided on the first submission.
 
Comprehensive instructions are incorporated into the SF-328 which provide clarity and specificity to industry and government stakeholders alike.  The instructions clearly identify the existing information requirements for each affirmative response and will serve to reduce processing timelines by ensuring sufficient SF-328 information is provided in the initial submission.  Additionally, policy-aligned definitions are incorporated for terms used in the SF 328 and instructions to provide consistency and a common vernacular across industry and government users. 
 
The National Industrial Security System (NISS) is scheduled to be offline on Sunday, May 11, 2025, from 7:30 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. EST to deploy the updated SF-328 and perform functionality testing.  The NISS team expects the new form to be functional when NISS comes back online on Monday, May 12, 2025.  Industry is not expected to submit a new SF-328 solely because the SF-328 form has been updated.  Initial and changed condition NISS packages submitted or initiated before the SF-328 is deployed will not be returned to industry for an updated SF-328.  Following the deployment of the SF 328 in NISS on May 12, 2025, industry users submitting for an initial facility clearance, facility clearance upgrade, or reporting a material change in according with 32 CFR Part 117 requiring a new or updated SF-328.
 
Questions concerning the SF-328 can be directed to your Industrial Security Representative or the Office of Entity Vetting Helpdesk via email at dcsa.fcb@mail.mil or phone at 1-878-274-2000 (option 2, then 1).