International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)
The U.S. Government’s Flagship Professional Exchange Program
Greatest Diplomacy Tool Available
The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is a professional exchange initiative of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Each year, the IVLP brings approximately 5,000 foreign nationals from around the world to the United States for short-term, purpose-driven professional visits.
The IVLP is designed for current and emerging leaders and provides participants with opportunities to meet with U.S. professional counterparts, explore American society firsthand, and engage in substantive dialogue on shared global challenges.
Who Participates?
IVLP participants are:
Nominated by American Foreign Service Officers at U.S. embassies around the world
Current or emerging leaders across government, media, education, arts, business, civil society and many other sectors
Individuals identified for their professional achievements, community impact and leadership potential
Since its inception in 1940, nearly nine decades ago, IVLP alumni have included more than 660 current and former heads of state or government, 2,000+ cabinet-level ministers, and thousands of distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors.
Participation in the IVLP is by invitation only; individuals cannot apply directly to the program.
International Visitors Experience
During their time in Georgia, IVLP participants engage in:
Professional meetings and site visits aligned with their areas of expertise
Roundtable discussions with peers and subject-matter experts
Community-based activities that offer insight into local civic life
Informal exchanges, including dinner hospitality
These experiences provide visitors with a nuanced understanding of American institutions, communities and professional practices at the local level.
Role of Georgia Citizens
The IVLP relies on collaboration between federal partners, program agencies, and volunteer-based community organizations known as Councils for International Visitors (CIVs).
The Georgia Council for International Visitors administers the IVLP in Georgia, working closely with program officers from the Office of International Visitors and partner organizations operating under cooperative agreements with the Department of State.
Georgia professionals and community members support the program by:
Serving as a professional resource for meetings and discussions
Hosting international visitors for dinner hospitality
Sharing expertise, perspectives, and local context
Nationally, more than 90 organizations across 45 states deliver IVLP programming under the leadership of Global Ties U.S.
The IVLP advances U.S. public diplomacy by:
Building long-term professional and institutional relationships
Fostering mutual understanding between the United States and other nations
Encouraging international collaboration and knowledge exchange
Strengthening people-to-people connections at the community level
Identifying and establishing rapport with future world leaders early in their careers
U.S. ambassadors consistently rank the IVLP as the most effective in a long list of public diplomacy tools. GCIV’s national parent organization, Global Ties U.S. known formerly as the National Council for International Visitors, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for its contributions to international understanding.
Global Impact
Frequently Asked Questions
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International exchange participants are identified as emerging or influential leaders in their communities and nominated by U.S. embassies around the world for the IVLP. Georgia residents may engage with international visitors as professional resources, dinner hospitality hosts or through many of GCIV’s community programs.
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No. Participation is by invitation only and coordinated through U.S. embassies and the U.S. Department of State.
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GCIV administers the IVLP across the state of Georgia and coordinates all aspects of visitors’ itineraries, including professional meetings, community engagement and dinner hospitality.
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Georgia residents can connect with international exchange participants as professional resources, dinner hospitality hosts or through many of GCIV’s other community programs.
Other Questions?
Still have questions? Contact Emily Shaw at emily@gciv.org.
Get Involved
Host a Delegate
Engage in citizen diplomacy by connecting with an international visitor for a professional meeting or welcoming them into your home for dinner hospitality.
Partner With Us
Want to collaborate with GCIV to further the IVLP in Georgia by expanding opportunities to engage with distinguished international visitors? Email hannah@gciv.org.