International Visitor Leadership Program

In FY 2012, IIE's IVLP teams in DC, San Francisco and Houston welcomed nearly 1,900 International Visitors on more than 300 projects.

International Visitor Leadership Program

IIE is celebrating more than 40 years of administering the IVLP, the premier professional exchange program of the U.S. Department of State.
IVLP: International

One-on-one collaboration to address global challenges.

European foreign policy experts meet with U.S. Navy representatives aboard the USS Pinckney in San Diego.
IVLP: Visitor

Welcome international leaders, exchange cultures and cultivate lasting relationships.

Oken Tayeng, Managing Director of Aborcountry Travels and Expeditions in Arunachal Pradesh, India, visits with representatives from the World Affairs Council of Central Florida in Orlando during a project on Tourism Development for Central and South Asia.
IVLP: Leadership

Inspire and empower professional development and leadership growth through personal experience.

Veda Bharadwaja, Program Officer for Advocacy and Research at The Hunger Project India in New Delhi, India, speaks to community members at an event in San Francisco celebrating International Women's Day during a project on the role of NGOs in global women's issues.
IVLP: Program

Expertly designed to demonstrate diversity, promote collaboration, and ensure a successful and fulfilling experience.

Religious and community leaders from North Africa and the Near East engage in interfaith dialogue with religious leaders in Washington, DC. (Photo courtesy of Jack Gordon, The InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington)

About the program

Launched in 1940 – and administered with IIE since 1972 – IVLP connects current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term visits to the United States.

IVLP At-a-Glance

More than 5,000 international participants per year. In FY 2012, nearly 1,900 were welcomed by IIE.
Alumni include more than 300 current and former heads of state, and countless industry and civil society leaders.
No application process – participants are selected by Foreign Service Officers at U.S. embassies around the world.

History and Experience

The IVLP is an opportunity to experience American culture firsthand, cultivate lasting relationships and inspire leadership to address global challenges.