All requests for EL Specialists must come to the Office of English Language Programs from officers at U.S. Embassies overseas. Institutions not in the United States who are interested in having an EL Specialist for 2-4 weeks or a shorter term speaker must work with the Public Diplomacy Officer or Cultural Officer at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and submit all requests for specialists to them. If they agree to the request, the Embassy will then send an official request to the Office of English Language Programs in Washington, D.C.

For standard two to four week specialist programs, the Office of English Language Programs will provide funds for the specialist's travel, honorarium, and materials allowance, but per diem (food and housing) for the specialist must be provided by the host institution and/or the U.S. Embassy submitting the request. When a U.S. embassy requests a speaker for a program shorter than two weeks, the Embassy must also fund the international travel.