ABOUT
EPCIV.
Our goal is to create mutual understanding through professional and cultural experiences that connect El Pasoans and visitors from around the world. We do this by hosting events and excursions that allow our international guests to spend time with local residents who are also engaged global citizens.
“Polite and attentive personnel from EPCIV. They worked hard to prepare our visit to El Paso.”
—Participant, Uzbekistan Migration Project
WHAT WE DO.
OUR VISITORS.
The El Paso Council for International Visitors, or EPCIV for short, has received foreign dignitaries since 1961. We work in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. embassies worldwide to welcome emerging leaders from other countries. Our international guests are touring the United States with the goal of better understanding our country and its people. Visitors spend three-to-four weeks traveling the U.S. at our government's expense. They will tour four-to-six American cities where they are greeted and hosted by local councils like EPCIV.
EPCIV is one of many councils that belong to U.S. Global Ties. More than a hundred heads-of-state and over six-hundred foreign cabinet ministers have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program. Past dignitaries have included leaders such as Margaret Thatcher and Anwar Sadat.
Most of our international visitors are rising leaders in government, education, journalism, and business, as well as mid-level professionals who are quickly moving into positions of real influence. Typically between 35–55 years old, well-educated and well-traveled, they come to El Paso to see firsthand how Texans build strong communities, grow businesses, and address complex cross-border challenges. During their stay, they meet with local businesses, government offices, law enforcement, and community organizations that align with their professional interests back home.
These visits strengthen economic and trade relationships, open doors to new markets, and showcase El Paso as a vital gateway for secure, lawful commerce along the border. Our region is part of the fifth-largest manufacturing hub in North America, where supply chains, logistics, and advanced industry drive growth for the entire country. Visitors see how local leaders balance border security and the fight against transnational crime with efficient trade and everyday life in a dynamic border community. They also learn about El Paso’s innovative approaches to water conservation and long-term sustainability in a desert environment. In this way, EPCIV helps cultivate long-term partners abroad who better understand and support America’s economic, security, and environmental priorities.
