An individual becomes an Invited Expert in a group as follows:

• The Chair and Team Contact hold preliminary discussions with the individual.
• The individual provides the information required of an Invited Expert as follows:
  • If you do not already have a W3C Access Account login and password (check if there is an account associated with your address), complete the Public Access Request Form.
  • After you receive your W3C login name and password, complete the W3C Invited Expert Application (which refers to the Invited Expert and Collaborators Agreement).
• The Team Contact reviews the request. If participation in the Group requires access to the W3C Member Web site, review of the application by W3C Management is required, following the internal process regarding Invited Experts (Team-only).
• If the application is approved, the Team invites the individual to complete the procedure of formally joining the Group.

Principles Guiding Invitations and Periodic Review

Section 6.2.1.3 of the W3C Process Document explains that W3C sometimes invites an individual with particular expertise to become a Invited Expert in a Group. The Team generally follows these principles when considering an application:

1. Invited expert status is normally granted to either independent individuals (i.e., individuals not significantly affiliated with business interests), or to academics affiliated with institutions of higher learning.
2. Invited expert status is not normally granted to individuals employed by organizations which have significant business interest in results from W3C. This might even include some not-for-profit organizations. Such organizations SHOULD join W3C.
3. Under almost no circumstances will invited expert status be granted to an individual whose support comes from an financially solvent organization which has terminated its W3C membership.
4. If the case is made that granting invited expert status to an individual supported by a "membership candidate" organization would enhance the chances that organization would join W3C, then a provisional 3-month or 6-month invitation might well be issued. For an individual supported by a "membership candidate"organization, it is expected that 6-month invitation will remain the default option and 3-month should only be used for exceptional cases or as an extension option to a previously agreed 6-month invitation.

The status of all Invited Experts is reviewed at least once a year, and may be reviewed more frequently, to ensure that information supplied on their application is still current (for instance organizational affiliation, participation commitment, etc.).

Member Access to W3C Site

Only after an individual has accepted an invitation from the Team to participate in a Working Group as an invited expert, and only for groups where Member access is required, is that individual granted “Member access” to the W3C Web site.