International Visitor Leadership Program, U.S. Department of State

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) has been the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program for over 75 years. The goal of the IVLP is to provide firsthand knowledge about U.S. society, culture, and politics, while cultivating lasting relationships. By connecting current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts, the IVLP fosters lasting relationships and helps strengthen U.S. engagement with countries around the world.

The IVLP is a program of the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which is responsible for funding and administering the IVLP in cooperation with Meridian International Center and other National Program Agencies (NPAs). These agencies are a group of private, not-for-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C. In addition, the IVLP relies on the commitment and skills of more than 90 community organizations, some of which are fully volunteer based, in 45 states that are members of the Global Ties U.S. network.

Check out the history of the Heads of State that have participated in the IVLP here: