An org-mate came home from the United States talking about YSEALI. Now you wonder: which fellowship is mine, and is it still running?
We read the official pages on 5 October 2026. Where each call stands:
- The Academic Fellows Program (AFP): the deadline for the 2027 call, one application for both 2027 cohorts, was 12 October 2026 (20:00 WIB), as the U.S. Mission's and the AFP's pages stated. The AFP runs one application cycle a year; no page dates the next one yet.
- The Professional Fellows Program (PFP): the Department of State's page lists its requirements, but its own pages name no current cycle; the latest its site names is 2025.
- No official page we read says either is suspended or cancelled.
Academic or professional: which track fits where you are
The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is, in the Department of State's words, "the U.S. government's signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia." Its two U.S.-based fellowships:
- AFP: 18 to 25 by the deadline, with exceptional over-25s considered; a student, or graduated within four years.
- PFP: 25 to 35 at the start; working, with two or more years' relevant experience.
The AFP's FAQ encourages candidates over 25 "to explore the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program."
Academic Fellows Program requirements in the 2027 call
The U.S. Mission to ASEAN describes the AFP as a five-week Institute, with an academic residency, leadership development, an educational study tour and community service. The 2027 themes are Economic Prosperity, Liberty and Freedom, Natural Resources, and Peace and Security.
The Mission's and the AFP's 2027 eligibility list asked that applicants be:
- 18 to 25 by the application deadline, though exceptional applicants over 25 may be considered;
- a citizen of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam, living in an ASEAN member state. Citizens of Burma and Laos were not eligible "due to current visa restrictions," based on citizenship, not residence;
- a full- or part-time student, or a graduate who finished an undergraduate degree in the last four years;
- proficient in reading, writing and speaking English;
- not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, U.S. Government employee or employee's immediate family, or past Academic Fellow;
- eligible for a J-1 visa.
Selection looked for interest in a theme, "strong leadership qualities," a "commitment to return to their home country," and little or no prior study or travel in America.
YSEALI Professional Fellows Program eligibility requirements
The Department of State describes the YSEALI PFP as a five-to-six-week, two-way exchange giving emerging Southeast Asian leaders experience in American public and private sector offices in four areas, from civic engagement to sustainability and the environment.
State's page, read on 5 October 2026, says participants must:
- be citizens and current residents of one of the eleven YSEALI countries, the Philippines among them;
- be emerging leaders in government, civil society or the private sector, with expertise in their theme;
- be 25 to 35 at the start of the program, currently employed, with two or more years of relevant professional work experience;
- be self-directed and collaborative in a cross-cultural setting;
- bring a project of their own for their home workplace or community;
- show proficiency in written and oral English.
The next call's own notice will set the exact terms.
Is YSEALI fully funded? What the AFP and PFP cover
For the AFP, its site calls it a fully funded exchange. Its FAQ says there is no fee to participate, and the Department of State covers selected Fellows' international travel, visa and basic living costs in the U.S.
For the PFP, its FAQ says State covers the same three costs for selected finalists, and "there are no required costs to Fellows." Neither publishes an amount.
The AFP charges no fee to participate, so if anyone asks you to pay to secure a place, walk away.
Getting ready before any next round
Both requirement lists reward a record of leading something, and a reason to bring it home. Neither is written the week before a deadline; both are built in the months before one.
As a student leader aiming at the AFP, pick a theme you can speak about from real work, show community service and use English weekly. Working and aiming at the PFP? Check your experience against the two-year line and shape a concrete project for your workplace or community.
Both treat the time abroad as a step toward leading at home. If you want a full American degree instead, the Fulbright route, for graduate study is a different door.
Your readiness checklist
- Match your age and stage to the AFP or the PFP.
- Write down the leadership you can show, with a real example.
- Choose your theme or work project.
- Join YSEALI's member list on the U.S. Mission to ASEAN's page, and trust official pages over reposts.
The Questions Filipinos Ask Us Most
Who is eligible for YSEALI?
The AFP is for students and recent graduates aged 18 to 25 by the deadline; the PFP is for working emerging leaders aged 25 to 35 at the start. Philippine citizens appear on both eligibility lists, and each sets its own residence rule.
How long is the YSEALI academic fellowship?
About five weeks. For 2027, the AFP gave expected dates of 1 April to 5 May (spring) and 16 September to 20 October 2027 (fall).
Is YSEALI cancelled in 2026?
Not on any official page we read on 5 October 2026: the AFP's 2027 call had a deadline of 12 October 2026, the PFP's pages name no current cycle, and none says either is suspended or cancelled.
Sources
Read on 5 October 2026.
U.S. Mission to ASEAN, AFP page: https://asean.usmission.gov/ysealiafp/
AFP application page: https://www.ysealiafp.org/apply
AFP FAQ: https://www.ysealiafp.org/faq
Department of State, PFP page: https://exchanges.state.gov/non-us/program/yseali-professional-fellows-program
PFP site, about page: https://www.ysealipfp.org/about
PFP FAQ: https://www.ysealipfp.org/faqs
U.S. Mission to ASEAN, membership page: https://asean.usmission.gov/young-southeast-asian-leaders-initiative/