15252 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 42 / Friday, March 1, 2024 / Notices 

United States, aligning with the 

objectives outlined in the U.S. Strategy 

Toward Sub-Saharan Africa. 

This meeting is for planning purposes 

for the Advisory Council to discuss 

2024 priorities and review proposed 

initiatives, including programs to 

expand cultural and education exchange 

between Africa and the United States, 

and programs to increase participation 

of members of the African diaspora in 

the United States related to trade, 

investment, economic growth, and 

development programs relating to 

Africa. The Advisory Council will also 

review a calendar of additional 

upcoming events focused on African 

diaspora engagement, for potential 

Advisory Council member participation. 

The activities of the Advisory Council 

encompass strategies to advance equity 

and opportunity for African diaspora 

communities, ways to support the 

United Nations’ Permanent Forum on 

People of African Descent, programs 

and initiatives to strengthen cultural, 

social, political, and economic ties 

between African communities, the 

global African diaspora, and the United 

States, and programs and initiatives to 

increase participation of members of the 

African diaspora in the United States 

with regard to trade, investment, 

economic growth, and development 

programs relating to Africa. 

Established in accordance with 

Executive Order 14089, the Advisory 

Council operates under the overarching 

authority of the Secretary of State and 

the Department of State, as outlined in 

Title 22 of the United States Code. 

Specifically, its mandate aligns with 

Section 2656 of that Title and adheres 

to the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 

This meeting is open to the public. 

Priority for in-person seating will be 

given to members of the Advisory 

Council and remaining seating will be 

reserved on a first-come, first-served 

basis. Interested members of the public 

may reserve a seat by contacting 

Matthew Becker at BeckerMA@state.gov. 

(Authority: 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. and 22 

U.S.C. 2651a.) 

Deniece L. Laurent-Mantey, 

Executive Director, The President’s Advisory 

Council on African Diaspora Engagement, 

Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2024–04301 Filed 2–29–24; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice: 12344] 

Exchange Visitor Program 

ACTION: Notice of an arrangement 

through a Memorandum of 

Understanding and modification of 

certain regulatory requirements. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

requirements of the Exchange Visitor 

Program (EVP) regulations, the Assistant 

Secretary for Educational and Cultural 

Affairs (ECA), U.S. Department of State, 

has modified certain regulatory 

provisions to permit Austrian dual/ 

vocational education students or recent 

graduates of such programs to 

participate in internship and training 

programs in the United States, 

providing these exchange visitors an 

opportunity to gain broadening 

international experience. 

DATES: This action was effective on 

January 31, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rebecca Pasini, Deputy Assistant 

Secretary for Private Sector Exchange at 

2200 C Street NW, SA–5, 5th Floor, 

Washington, DC 20522. or via email at 

JExchanges@state.gov or by telephone at 

(202) 826–4364. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A new 

program between the United States and 

the Republic of Austria has been 

established in accordance with existing 

Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) 

regulations (22 CFR part 62), including 

regulations applying to the Intern and 

Trainee categories (22 CFR 62.22). The 

program supports the purposes of the 

Fulbright-Hayes Act by increasing 

participants’ understanding of American 

culture and society and enhancing 

Americans’ knowledge of Austrian 

culture and skills through an open 

interchange of ideas. A key goal of the 

Fulbright-Hays Act, which authorizes 

the EVP Intern and Trainee categories of 

exchange, is that exchange visitors will 

return to their home countries and share 

their experiences in the United States. 

The new exchange between the 

United States and Austria allows EVP 

participation of Austrian citizens aged 

18 to 30 who are currently enrolled in 

(or are within 12 months of graduation 

at the time of program application) an 

Austrian accredited post-secondary or 

dual/vocational education program 

outside the United States. The Austrian 

dual/vocational education program is 

unique in that Austrian students 

conduct on-the-job trainingwhile they 

receive a combination of theoretical and 

practical training in vocational schools 

and colleges. Under current EVP 

regulations (22 CFR 62.22(d)(2)), 

trainees must be foreign nationals who 

have either a degree or professional 

certificate from a foreign post-secondary 

academic institution and at least one 

year of prior related work experience in 

their occupational field acquired 

outside the United States or five years 

of work experience in their occupational 

field acquired outside the United States. 

Under current regulations (22 CFR 

62.22(d)(3)), intern exchange visitors 

must be enrolled in a foreign degree- or 

certificate-granting post-secondary 

academic institution or have recently 

graduated (within 12 months of program 

start date) from such an institution. 

Austrian exchange visitors will not need 

to have lengthy work experience or be 

enrolled in an academic institution in 

their home country prior to 

participating in a training or internship 

program. 

Austrian exchange visitors will be 

placed for periods of between six and 

twelve months at up to two U.S. private 

companies or non-profit institutions. 

Austrian exchange visitors will have at 

least two rotations evenly divided over 

the length of their program. In the first 

rotation, Austrian exchange visitors may 

be placed in a routine (entry-level) 

assignment, but they must have 

progressively more responsibility in 

their second rotation. The second 

rotation is permitted to be at the same 

placement institution as the first but 

must give the exchange visitor more 

responsibility. If they so choose, 

Austrian exchange visitors may conduct 

two training rotations in more advanced 

assignments to cover the full length of 

their program without conducting an 

initial routine (entry-level) component. 

Under the arrangement, the 

government of the Republic of Austria 

has established a reciprocal program 

permitting U.S. citizens aged 18 to 30 

and who have recently graduated 

(within 12 months at the time of 

program application) from a U.S. degree, 

diploma, or certificate-granting 

educational institution to participate in 

a working holiday program. Participants 

may stay in Austria for up to 12 months, 

pursuing employment with one or more 

organizations to supplement their funds 

or for educational purposes without the 

need for a work permit while they are 

on the cultural exchange. 

Lee A. Satterfield, 

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Educational 

and Cultural Affairs, Department of State. 

[FR Doc. 2024–04305 Filed 2–29–24; 8:45 am] 

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