Foreign contacts and interests become a security concern if an applicant has divided loyalties or if foreign financial interests can be manipulated or induced to help a foreign person, group, organization or government in a way that is not in the interests of the United States. The adjudicative guideline specifies that foreign contacts and interests may be a security concern under the following circumstances: The individual “has divided loyalties or foreign financial interests”; The individual “may be manipulated or induced to help a foreign person, group, organization or government in a way that is not in U.S. interests”; The individual “is vulnerable to pressure or coercion by any foreign interest”.

The adjudicative guideline also states that “Adjudication under this Guideline can and should consider the identity of the foreign country in which the foreign contact or financial interest is located, including, but not limited to, such considerations as whether the foreign country is known to target American citizens to obtain protected information or is associated with a risk of terrorism.”