InterExchange Resources
These resources cover a wide range of topics, including the commitments that we at InterExchange make to our customers. These topics span compliance, to health and safety, and human trafficking.
Health & Safety
If you require immediate assistance from the police, fire department or ambulance, dial 911. Only use this number in a true emergency.
Please contact us if you need any further assistance or advice.
Health & Safety Alerts
Major Winter Storm and Arctic Cold Advisory
Updated 22 January 2026.
A major winter storm and a dangerously cold Arctic air mass are expected to impact the Eastern U.S. from Friday, January 23 through Sunday, January 25. This event brings several life-threatening risks:
- Dangerously Cold Temperatures: Extreme, life-threatening cold and sub-zero wind chills will spread across the Eastern U.S. through the weekend. Exposed skin is at risk for hypothermia and frostbite. Please ensure you and your pets have protection from the cold.
- Heavy Snow and Ice: Heavy snowfall is expected to affect areas from the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England, with significant snow possible on Sunday. In southern regions, crippling ice and sleet are likely. This will cause difficult to impassable travel conditions and the potential for long-duration power outages.
- Immediate Driving Hazard: Snow showers and snow squalls are expected through Friday in the interior Northeast and New England. These conditions create near-zero visibility and gusty winds, making driving extremely dangerous.
As always, our primary concern is for the health and safety of our participants. We're here to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. We encourage you to check weather reporting via the National Weather Service and your local forecast office.
If advised to evacuate, please take important documents and medications with you. This includes your passport, Form DS-2019, Social Security Card, Financial Records, plane ticket, checks, and credit cards.
Take important contact numbers and e-mail addresses. Bring the InterExchange office emergency telephone number for your program to call if needed. Please contact InterExchange if you are instructed to evacuate.
Contact your family members to let them know you are safe and how you can be reached. Read more about preparing for emergencies and natural disasters.
Sources
What to Do in a Mass Shooting Event
Unfortunately, gun violence is not uncommon in the United States. It’s important to take precautions and know what to do if you find yourself in an active shooter situation. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has compiled resources about surviving attacks in crowded and public spaces, along with preparedness advice for other emergencies. We recommend reviewing this information so that you know what to do if you find yourself in a dangerous situation.
We are available and would like to know if anything has negatively affected your health, safety, or wellness. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Participant Safety: Know the Signs of Trafficking
InterExchange is a proud supporter of The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign and the global fight to end human trafficking. Everyone has a role to play in combating human trafficking and you can help by recognizing potential indicators and reporting suspected cases of human trafficking.
Be aware of the definitions and warning signs of human trafficking. Watch these awareness videos from the Blue Campaign to better understand the signs and indicators of human trafficking.
Human Trafficking Is
The act of
- Recruiting
- Harboring
- Transporting
- Providing
- Obtaining
… a person for labor, services, or commercial sex acts
by Means of
- Force
- Fraud
- Coercion
for the Purpose of
- Exploitation
- Involuntary servitude
- Peonage
- Debt bondage
- Slavery
OR any conventional sex act involving a minor
Warning Signs of Human Trafficking:
Personal Documents
The person does not have access to their travel documents or identification papers (which restricts the individual’s freedom of movement and opportunity)
Wages
- The person’s wages are being withheld
- The person is being paid a wage that is less than what was promised
Safety
The person is threatened by an employer with deportation or arrest
Freedom
The person is coached on what to say to law enforcement or other officials (including the U.S. Department of State or their J-1 Visa sponsor)
Working & Living Conditions
- The person is doing a different job than expected
- The person is deprived of satisfactory living conditions
For more information and resources to help prevent human trafficking, please visit:
Regulatory Compliance
Our primary focus is participant safety. We are committed to best practices, continual innovation, and a standard of excellence in all that we do. We vigorously adhere to all U.S. Department of State regulations governing the programs we run. We view these regulations as the baseline upon which we build safe and secure programs.
We ensure that our participants and their hosts follow all regulations set forth by the Department of State and maintain contact with us throughout their selected programs. The below resources provide valuable information about the U.S. Department of State regulations for our exchange programs.
Our participants come first. Their health, safety, and welfare is our primary concern.
As a nonprofit organization, our participants and hosts can be confident that our resources are invested in our programs and operations, and that we strive every day to create safe, affordable, and life-changing cultural exchange experiences.
Fulbright-Hays Act
At InterExchange, we encourage all our participants and professional colleagues to learn about The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, also known as the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. This important act enables the Government of the United States to:
- Increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange;
- Strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United States and other nations, and the contributions being made toward a peaceful and more fruitful life for people throughout the world;
- Promote international cooperation for educational and cultural advancement; and thus assist in the development of friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the United States and other countries of the world.
Our J-1 Visa participants and their hosts must follow all regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of State and maintain contact with InterExchange throughout their selected programs.
We encourage international visitors to take advantage of the cultural opportunities offered by their U.S. host communities, and we encourage you to promote cultural learning by introducing participants to uniquely American values, customs, history, and activities while learning about the countries and cultures of visiting participants.
Strengthening these relationships makes achieving the goals of mutual cultural exchange possible and allows us to build a global community—one person at a time.
Visit the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to learn more.