UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY 22 CFR Part 514 Exchange Visitor Program AGENCY: United States Information Agency. ACTION: Notice of policy statement. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Agency-designated sponsors currently authorized the professor and research scholar categories, who seek authority to utilize the short-term scholar category provided for in existing regulations, may do so by written request to the Agency. ADDRESSES: Letter requests should be addressed to: Sally J. Lawrence, Chief, Program Designation Branch, Office of the General Counsel, Room 700, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20547. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sally J. Lawrence, Chief, Program Designation Branch, at the above address or by telephone, (202) 401-9810. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agency published a final rule in the Federal Register on June 10, 1996 that amended existing regulations governing Exchange Visitor Program eligibility requirements for prospective professor and research scholar participants. These amendments placed a twelve month bar from continued program participation upon individuals who had been physically present in the United States for all or part of the twelve months immediately preceding their commencement of program participation as a professor or research scholar. This regulation further provided an exception to the application of a twelve month bar to prospective participants who had previously participated in the Exchange Visitor Program as a short-term scholar participant. By providing this exception to the twelve month bar, the Agency seeks to promote the proper use of the short-term scholar category, having determined that such use will foster and promote collaborative international research and exchange. Currently, some but not all of the Agency's designated Exchange Visitor Program sponsors are authorized to utilize the short-term scholar category. As stated, the Agency endorses the use of this category and accordingly has determined that designated sponsors currently authorized to utilize the professor and research scholar category shall be authorized to utilize the short-term scholar category solely upon written request to the Agency. Les Jin, General Counsel. [FR Doc. 96-18065 Filed 7-15-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8230-01-M