Content removed to align with the President's Executive Orders and DOD priorities in accordance with DOD Instruction 5400.17. "Official Use of Social Media for Public Affairs Purposes."
Applying to the EHLS Program is a four-step process. To ensure that you submit a complete EHLS application, please review the steps carefully.
The Application is open!
Click here to open the online application form and apply by 5 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 16th, 2026:
Once you have prepared your supporting documents, you should start your EHLS online application. Read the application instructions below to guide you through this process. Please note that you will not see a save button on the application; by hitting “continue”, your application will be saved.
Go to the EHLS online application website. If you are starting an application for the first time, please click “Create an Account”. You will be asked to provide your name and email address and to create a password. If you already have an application open for this cycle, please click “Log in”. Be sure to click on this link each time you return to your application and log in with the same email address. Please note that this year’s application is independent from any previous years’ applications; if you applied last year you will need to create a new application by clicking “Create an Account”.
Make sure that the email address you provide is one that you use every day. EHLS Program staff will use this email address to get in touch with you if there are problems with your application. Please check your email including junk folders on a regular basis throughout the application process.
There are five required essays for the EHLS program.
In the essays, show that you are a strong candidate for the program, as defined in the selection criteria. Review the essay guidance document for more information on each essay.
Please make sure your responses are succinct and effectively address the prompts. Note that there is a 500-word limit. We strongly recommend that you write your essays in a Word document and copy them over to the application. This allows you to use spellcheck. Save your work frequently!
View the Alumni Series video below for tips on writing you application essays.
After you have answered all questions on the application form and provided the required supporting documents (résumé, transcript, and references), you will be asked to submit your application by clicking the “submit” button. Before doing so, make sure you have completed all fields and answered all questions thoroughly.
Applications will be reviewed based on information that you provide, and any incomplete responses will be judged accordingly. Applicants to the EHLS Program will be evaluated according to five selection criteria:
Detailed information about each criterion is available in the selection criteria definitions. Once you have clicked the “submit” button, you will not be able to make any further changes to your application.
The application and all supporting documents must be received by the application deadline.
Get Help
If you encounter problems when using the online application system, send an email to ehls@iieus.org or call 202-792-1400.
Once an application is submitted and considered complete (with at least one recommendation letter), applicants will be notified when they are eligible to schedule an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in English.
Applicants cannot schedule an OPI until they have completed all components of the EHLS application, and it has been reviewed for completion. The link and step-by-step instructions on scheduling an OPI in English will be emailed to applicants upon a successful review of their application. OPIs will be administered through July 10, 2026. However, your application still has to be submitted by 5pm EDT on June 16th. We suggest that you submit your application as soon as possible, so that you can secure a date and time that works for your schedule.
OPIs are administered by Language Testing International (LTI).
Please review the guides from Language Testing International to help you prepare: https://www.languagetesting.com/oral-proficiency-interview-opi
The OPI is a live 30-45 minute telephone conversation between a certified tester and the test-taker. Through a series of personalized questions regarding the test-taker’s academic, professional, and personal experience, a sample of speech is elicited and rated in accordance with the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale. OPI’s will be proctored remotely.
A Remote Proctored OPI is proctored via webcam. In this case, the test-taker is responsible for providing the necessary technology, including a computer (laptop recommended), webcam, telephone, and internet access. Please review the technical requirements and download the necessary software well in advance of your scheduled OPI. You will connect 20 minutes before your scheduled OPI time with your proctor on zoom. Your proctor will ask to view your government issued photo ID, and your surroundings.
The English OPI evaluates your general proficiency in English. Test questions cover general interest topics and common social and professional situations. There are no sample test materials available for review. To prepare for the test, we recommend reading the newspaper, listening to the news on the radio, and using English in discussions of current events and in professional contexts.
The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale descriptors are a good resource to help advanced language learners identify specific skills that can be improved. Visit https://www.govtilr.org/Skills/ILRscale2.htm to view the descriptors.
You can also assess your language skills via the following self-assessment created by ILR:
Speaking: https://www.govtilr.org/Publications/speakingsa.html
Take Note
You must schedule your OPI at least one week in advance of the desired test date. You cannot reschedule an OPI within 24 hours of the scheduled test time, and if you miss your OPI it will not be rescheduled.
If you have taken an English OPI with EHLS or another federal government tester since June 2024 and can provide proof of your scores (via a certificate or a signed letter on company letterhead), you may be able to waive this OPI. Please reach out to us at ehls@cal.org for further instruction if this applies to you.
Applicants that do not complete an English OPI or do not meet the minimum standard of a Limited Working Proficiency (ILR 2) on the English OPI will be disqualified from consideration and notified of the decision.
Questions?
If you have questions about the OPI process, please contact CAL at ehls@cal.org or 202-355-1584.
View the Alumni Series video below, for tips on how to prepare for English Testing.
If you meet the minimum standard of an ILR 2 on the English OPI, your application will be reviewed by the EHLS Selection Committee.
Following this review, applicants will be notified of their application status in September 2026. You will be notified by email in September; please check your email daily. At that time, some individuals who pass the first stage of the review process will become provisionally selected applicants and be invited to additional language and technology skills testing.
The EHLS Program typically invites 50 individuals at this stage, and up to 18 of those candidates will be selected for admission to the program. If your application is provisionally selected, you will then proceed with skills testing.
Please note that an invitation to take the Skills Tests does not indicate admittance to the EHLS program. The results of your performance on the skills testing will be combined with selection rankings to determine whether you are offered a scholarship. Final selection decisions will be made in November 2026.
Testing will occur in late September and early October. Provisionally selected candidates will be notified of the specific testing dates in late September. The EHLS Program will schedule these for you and will make every effort to accommodate your needs. Testing sessions will be from 5:30-7:30pm EDT between September 21st, 2026 and October 9th, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to check their schedules to make sure they can be available for testing during this time.
All provisionally selected applicants will take 4 tests in a virtual environment.
1.English Listening and Reading: This test will be scheduled through Language Testing International (LTI). It is the Listening and Reading Computer Adaptive Test (L&R CAT). The test will be administered remotely with remote proctoring. The test usually takes between 1-1.5 hours to complete.
2.English Writing: This is an essay test; it takes 1 hour.
3.Critical Language Speaking: This test (called an OPI) is taken over the telephone and takes approximately 30-45 minutes. This is similar to the English OPI taken during the application, but will be in your critical language.
To qualify for the EHLS Program, you must receive a score of at least 2 on the ILR scale on all 3 English language skills tests and receive a score of 3 on the critical language test.
4.Basic Technology Skills Test: This test will measure your technology skills. You should be prepared to demonstrate your skills with: file management, word processing (including accurate keyboarding), presentation software, internet navigation, emailing, and attaching documents. This test is a pass/fail assessment.
English and Critical Language Assessments
These tests evaluate your general proficiency in the language being tested. Test questions cover general interest topics and common social and professional situations. There are no sample test materials available for review. To prepare for the tests, we recommend reading the newspaper, listening to the news on the radio, and using English and your critical language in discussions of current events and in professional contexts.
The Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) scale descriptors are a good resource to help advanced language learners identify specific skills that can be improved. Visit https://www.govtilr.org/Skills/ILRscale2.htm to view the descriptors.
You can also assess your language skills via the following self-assessments created by ILR:
Reading: https://www.govtilr.org/Publications/readingsa.html
Listening: https://www.govtilr.org/Publications/listenngsa.html
Basic Technology Skills
To prepare, review the technology skills self-assessment.
The EHLS Program will notify you in late October/ early November of your status: selected, selected as alternate, or not selected. The final admission decisions are based on the outcomes of the entry language testing combined with the rating received from the selection committee.
Please be sure to provide current, accurate information about your phone number and email address so that program staff can contact you.
