US Government YLAI Fellowship 2025 for Young Entrepreneurs – YOA

The U.S. Department of State’s Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program is now formally accepting functions for its 2026 cohort. If you’re a pushed younger entrepreneur from Latin America, the Caribbean, or Canada seeking to scale your influence, this totally funded alternative often is the profession catalyst you’ve been ready for.

About the YLAI Fellowship

Since its inception in 2015, the YLAI Fellowship Program has empowered over 1,750 rising enterprise leaders by equipping them with entrepreneurial management abilities and connecting them with U.S. corporations and establishments. The 2026 program continues this legacy with a strong 4-week fellowship expertise within the United States, together with:

• Professional Placement: Fellows can be matched with U.S.-based host companies aligned with their entrepreneurial sector to develop and refine their Entrepreneurial Leadership Action Plan (E-LAP).

• Entrepreneurial Leadership Curriculum: Developed by IREX in collaboration with Arizona State University, this blended on-line and in-individual curriculum supplies technical coaching and management growth.

• Opening Orientation & Closing Forum: Fellows will begin this system with a proper welcome and conclude with a dynamic discussion board in Washington, D.C., together with excessive-stage networking with U.S. authorities officers and enterprise leaders.

• Post-Fellowship Support: After returning home, YLAI Fellows achieve continued entry to mentoring, alumni actions, and will even host their U.S. placement accomplice via the Outbound Exchange Program.

If journey is restricted throughout this system interval, actions can be performed nearly to make sure security and continued engagement.

Financial Coverage

Selected Fellows will obtain complete monetary help, together with:

• Round-trip airfare to and from the U.S.
• J-1 visa sponsorship (notice: no dependents allowed)
• Housing and meal stipends
• Health insurance coverage protection throughout this system
• Travel inside the U.S. for fellowship-associated actions
• No application or participation charges

Who is Eligible?

Applicants should meet the next standards:

• Be between 25 and 35 years previous by January 1, 2026
• Be a resident and citizen of one of many eligible nations*
• Have a minimal of two (02) years’ expertise working their very own enterprise
• Not maintain U.S. citizenship or everlasting residency
• Be eligible for a J-1 visa
• Have sturdy English proficiency and full all application responses with out using generative AI
• Be dedicated to making use of their entrepreneurial abilities for group growth.

*Eligible nations embrace most of Latin America and the Caribbean, in addition to Canada, Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten. In the case of Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten, Dutch citizenship is accepted.

Selection Criteria

Selection is extremely aggressive and advantage-based mostly. Applicants can be evaluated on:

• Demonstrated entrepreneurial expertise and enterprise progress
• Community involvement and public service engagement
• Clear alignment between private targets and YLAI program goals
• Leadership qualities, perseverance, and initiative
• Ability to speak successfully in English (evaluated throughout dwell interviews)

Semifinalist interviews will happen in July 2025, and candidates can be notified of their standing by August 2025.

Apply: https://ylai.state.gov/fellowship/#info.
Reference: https://br.usembassy.gov/u-s-opens-applications-for-the-young-leaders-of-the-americas-initiative-ylai-2026-fellowship-program/.