A “NOC” or non-official cover.
In the United States, NOCs work for an intelligence agency but work even harder to establish that they are actually working for a legitimate organization that has business in a particular country. They then visit that country from time to time to try to get information relevant to intelligence services, often meeting with people who want to provide information.
This is Valerie Plame. She was an NOC until the Bush administration deliberately blew her cover in an attempt to discredit her husband, who had said Iraq had not obtained uranium from Niger (the document saying Iraq did was a forgery).
To the world, she was an energy analyst, going from country to country to provide professional services in the energy sector. In reality, she worked for the CIA, mostly looking at where nuclear technology was being sold. Since she regularly dealt with the suppliers of such materials, she knew where things were going.
Most CIA agents overseas are attached to embassies or consulates, so if they get caught doing spy stuff, they have diplomatic immunity and just get sent back. NOCs get tried for espionage because they specifically don’t have diplomatic immunity.
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