CIEE- Government Relations and General Program Advocacy

CIEE recognizes that, as a leader in the field of international educational exchange, we have a significant role to play in working with the US and foreign governments to create regulations, programs and practices that support cultural exchange programs for students and young professionals. As such, we take an active role in advocacy efforts both home and abroad in order to foster a positive environment for these programs.

In the US, our efforts with the US State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and Congressional leaders are aimed at creating:

• federal regulations that encourage international exchange and ensure high program standards
• a visa policy that keeps our country safe while supporting legitimate exchange
• adequate and consistent funding for exchange programs and public diplomacy

We accomplish our goals with a direct presence in Washington as well as through our membership in organizations like the Alliance for International, Educational and Cultural Exchange, which gives a collective and active voice to issues that impact the exchange community. From time to time, we also reach out to Host Companies and other stakeholders to ask their support in our efforts to lobby for policies that allow these valuable exchange programs to continue.

Overseas, we work directly with US Embassies and Consulates to increase awareness of CIEE's J-1 programs and ensure our program participants can move through the visa application process as quickly as possible, regardless of their country of origin.

In a similar fashion, our efforts abroad include educating overseas governments on the various components of the J1 programs, lobbying for local legislation that supports rather than impedes exchange and ensuring that opportunities also exist for US students and graduates to partake in reciprocal exchange opportunities.

For most participants who take part in a cultural exchange experience overseas, the experience abroad is important in shaping a world view, establishing a career, and constructing long-lasting relationships with the host culture, company and members of the community where they lived. In hosting an international trainee through CIEE you contribute to this broader set of objectives and we look forward to the possibility of working with you to further these objectives.