Kelly Farling

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is regarding which forms the au pair arrives with and what happens if he/she misplaces one of them.  This week’s Nat Chat is dedicated to this very topic and providing you with the information you need to know. 

•   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.  This is great information to review at your next au pair meeting and at your two-week orientations as well.    

• In the event that an au pair has lost their DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility) form, they should contact Operations (800-448-5753 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              800-448-5753      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) 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 $330. 
• 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 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              800-448-5753      end_of_the_skype_highlighting).   

As the process and potential cost (both financially and in terms of travel restrictions) of replacing these forms is significant, it’s important that au pairs keep this information in a safe place where they can find them easily.  Encourage au pairs to only take these documents out of this place only when absolutely necessary to avoid unnecessary risk of loss or damage.