International Exchange Organizations in Minnesota

International Student Exchange Organizations (ISEOs) bringing students to Minnesota for high school or other K-12 programs must first register with the Office of the Secretary of State, if the student's stay will be longer than 30 days. See the list of registered ISEOs below.  

Complaints

Minnesota Statutes 5A.06 provides that complaints about International Student Exchange Organizations may be submitted to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. The Secretary has the authority to forward these complaints to the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) and the U.S. Department of State. The Secretary also has the discretion to further investigate situations raised in complaints to determine whether the complaint is an isolated instance, or whether there is a systemic problem with placements by an organization. If the Secretary determines that the organization has failed to remain in compliance with the appropriate legal requirements, the registration of the organization may be terminated.

Host Family Background Check

ISEOs may request that host families fill out the follow form and submit it to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to ensure the safety of incoming Students. Host families are not required by law to complete this form, but if each person over the age of 18 residing in a household does not complete and submit this form to the organization requesting this authorization, the family will not be allowed to proceed with the application process.

HostFamilyBackgroundCheck.pdf