Abbass Abbass of Israel, a 2007 alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program

The International Visitor Leadership Program operates 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 Leadership 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 U.S. firsthand. The visitors, who are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields, are selected by American Officials overseas. More than 200 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 Leadership Program.

The Department of State directs the program in cooperation with a wide range of non-profit organizations operating under cooperative agreements with the Department of State. The program also relies on the commitment and skills of more than 90 community-based organizations across the country. They represent a wide range of institutions and expertise from universities to World Affairs Councils to all-volunteer organizations. Known collectively as "Councils for International Visitors” (CIVs), these organizations are associated under the umbrella organization of the National Council for International Visitors located in Washington, D.C.