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Archive for 'Governmental Interests'

Effective next Friday, July 24th, the stipend will be $195.75. 

We say the “week of July 24th” to make sure everyone is covered, so really any pay day next week should be at the new rate.   

 

 This is the third and final stage of the scheduled stipend increase. The stipend is set by the Federal government and is directly linked to the federal minimum wage. In the spring of 2007 a three step minimum wage was enacted, and this is the last stage of this planned increase.

We have just added a link in the AP Online account for Au Pairs to request a new DS-2019 form.

We have just added a link in the AP Online account for Au Pairs to request a new DS-2019 form for any of the following reasons:

 AP lost it

• It was stolen
• The HF moved and the address is therefore outdated on her current DS form
• The AP is in the second year, but has not received her DS form

We encourage Au Pairs to fill out the request form online (available in Infosource in the Visa Forms section of their online account) as it makes the process smoother, but of course you can still send requests by e-mail to the Operations Inbox if you have an Au Pair on the phone.

It is very important for au pairs to safely care for their legal documents. Here is a list of the documents and what to do if lost or missing. But, that won’t happen to au pairs in my group because au pairs in my group keep their legal documents safely guarded!

·        When an au pair and host family finalize a match with each other, we enter the au pair’s information into SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) and a DS-2019 Certificate for Eligibility is generated. 

 ·        The au pair takes this form to his/her appointment at the U.S. Embassy in their home country and, if approved, the consular officer will issue the J-1 visa stamp which is stamped in their passport.  

 ·        When the au pair travels to the U.S. to attend the training school in New York , he/she takes the DS-2019 form along with his/her passport with the J-1 stamp.  While on the plane, the au pair is provided with an I-94 form which serves as the arrival record and will serve as the departure record at the end of their program term. 

 ·        Upon entry to the U.S., an immigration officer enters the au pair’s information into the Homeland Security tracking system. The immigration officer will then stamp the DS-2019, the passport, and the bottom of the I-94 form, which is then torn off and either stapled or placed inside the au pair’s passport. All three of these documents are handed back to the au pair.

 The au pair must keep all of these documents throughout his/her year. They are needed to travel, apply for a social security card and/or driver’s license, and they prove their legal status as an au pair in the US . Should an au pair lose one of these documents, what follows is the protocol to replace them.   

·        In the event that an au pair has lost their DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility) form, they should contact Operations (800-448-5753) and a new form will be printed and mailed to them.

 ·        In the event that an au pair has lost their I-94 form, they can obtain a replacement by filing form I-102, which is available on the US Customs and Immigration Website (www.uscis.gov, under Immigration Forms). The fee to replace the I-94 is $320.

 ·        In the event that an au pair loses their passport, they must contact the embassy for their home country and apply for a replacement passport.  To find the nearest embassy, check the following website:  www.embassyworld.com  Fees will vary depending on the country. Remember that if the passport is lost, the J-1 visa is also lost, as is the I-94 form.  The J-1 visa cannot be replaced in the US ; the au pair would have to travel to her home country and replace it at the US embassy there. Travel outside of the US and re-entry is prohibited if the passport and its contents are lost and no replacements have been obtained.  Au pairs should contact the Operations department immediately for further details and instructions (800-448-5753). 

Lock your passport in a safe place while in the United States; you do not need it with you unless you are traveling outside the US. Keep all your other identification safely with you. However, should you lose your identification, here are some ways to get it back.

Contact the Operations Department and they will issue the Au Pair a new DS-2019 Form right away.  You should also have them send a new insurance card assuming that it was in her purse as well. 

The Operations Department has written instructions of how to replace the I-94 card that the Au Pair received when she came through Customs and that she will need when she leaves the country to return home.

 The passport has to be replaced by her own embassy. Depending upon which country it is she may or may not have to travel there to get it replaced.  Please get the link to her home country’s consulate at www.embassyworld.com.

 The best resource for the international driver’s license is her family back home.  They can usually get one issued for a fee.  There are also web sites that offer this service as well.  They are pricey and the Au Pair most likely will have to have the passport before this can be done.  Another route would be that when she has her passport replaced and a new DS form she should be able to get a PA license.  Pa does require a visa but the police report should help with this.

Unfortunately, the visa can only be replaced by the US embassy in her home country.  She can stay here without the actual visa as long as she has a valid DS-2019 form but she will not be able to travel outside the continental US.

• This is an Au Pair News blog. Learn more about our au pair childcare program:

  • what is an au pair?
  • view available au pairs
  • request information
  • current discounts
  • host family community
  • au pair videos