The
International Visitor Program is administered by the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs, operating under authority of the Mutual Educational
and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Fulbright-Hays Act). The emphasis of the program
is to increase mutual understanding through communication at the personal and
professional levels.
The International Visitor Program brings participants to the United States from all over the world each year to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to experience the United States firsthand. The visitors, who are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields, are selected by American Foreign Service Officers overseas. More than 175 current and former Heads of State, 1,500 cabinet-level ministers, and many other distinguished world leaders in government and the private sector have participated in the International Visitor Program.
USIA directs the program in cooperation with a wide range of non-profit organizations operating under cooperative agreements with USIA. The program also relies on the commitment and skills of over 99 volunteer organizations across the country. These organizations are known collectively as "Councils for International Visitors (CIVs)" associated under the umbrella organization of the National Council for International Visitors.