Regarding full membership in the Alliance, the Alliance by-laws (approved May 14, 1993, amended October 21, 2009) state:

ARTICLE III
Section 1. Full Members shall be:

(a) organizations, groups, agencies, associations and/ or other legal entities, national or regional in scope, which conduct, facilitate, or support interna¬tional exchanges;
(b) separately identifi¬able divisions, sections, or other subunits within the above described organizations which conduct, facilitate, or support international exchanges within the framework of the programs and services of a larger national or regional organizational entity.

Section 2. Admission to membership shall be by majority vote of the membership upon recommendation of the Membership Committee. Within such guidelines as may be established from time to time by the Board of Directors, applicants for membership shall meet the following criteria:

(a) agree with the purpose and support the goals of the Alliance;
(b) be legally established in the United States;
(c) have in existence clearly defined programs and activities directly concerned with conducting, facilitating, and/or supporting international exchange;
(d) comply with generally accepted ethical standards for the conduct of international exchange activities.

On October, 5, 2010, the Alliance Board of Directors adopted the following “Policy Statement and Guidelines regarding Alliance Membership Criteria,” to further clarify the criteria established by the by-laws:

“The Alliance formulates, promotes and advocates for policies that advance the reach and impact of international exchange linkages between the people of the United States and other nations. As a coalition that promotes high quality exchange programs rather than a trade association that promotes its members’ businesses, the reach and influence of the Alliance is directly related to its reputation, and the reputation of its individual members. The Alliance actively seeks new member organizations that meet the Alliance’s high ethical and industry standards and thereby are able to support and contribute to the Alliance’s mission.

“In addition to the membership criteria set forth in Article III of the Alliance by-laws, this policy statement sets forth additional guidelines for membership as allowed under Article III, Section 2. Specifically, to ensure that applicants have an established reputation and the necessary experience to contribute to exchange policy discussions, the Board also expects member organizations to:

• have been in business in the field for at least five years;
• administer or support exchanges in multiple markets, or, if they work only on exchanges between the U.S. and a single country, to administer exchanges in both directions; and
• have an established reputation for quality work with clients, vendors, and participants whom they serve or represent.

“Any organization that may bring the Alliance into notoriety and/or disrepute, negatively affecting the Alliance’s reputation and advocacy for international exchange, may be barred from Alliance membership. If a member acts in ways that brings the Alliance into notoriety and/or disrepute, the Board may by a 2/3 vote of the directors present and voting remove any member from membership.”