Responsibilities beyond childcare…
Hi there,
Many people ask me about what;s the Au Pair's responsabilities around the house, so here it is:
While the primary responsibility of Au Pairs is to care for your children, Au Pairs can also help with “light household chores”. Beyond an expectation for a program that is focused on childcare, it is also a U.S. Department of State regulation that host families abide by when joining the program. Let’s define what “light household chores” are and what tasks au pairs can or can’t do.
An Au Pair can:
■Pack up the children’s school bags in the morning
■Empty the dishwasher
■Help to take the trash out
■Prepare meals (breakfast, lunch (boxes), snacks and help with dinners if they are still on duty)
■Pick up and sweep main family area after meals or play
■Pick up toys, organize the children’s belongings and keeping main areas clean
■Wash/ dry/ put away the children’s laundry
■Drive the children to different activites, to/ from school
■Help with anything related to the children during their assigned working hours
An Au Pair can not:
■Clean the whole house
■Scrub the toilets/ clean all the bathrooms
■Provide house maintenance or make repairs
■Wash the parent’s laundry or clean/ pick up their room
■Be the chef and be responsible for all meals, and not beyond their working hours
■Be the maid… they main focus is childcare
■Work beyond the 45 hours per week/ 10 hours per day, which include both childcare and chores
However, as a part of the family, Au Pairs are expected to also help according to the common sense of a good “roommate”. So for example, if they are off duty but eat dinner with your family, they will help you and the kids getting the table ready and putting the dishes away.
Additionally, they are also responsible for cleaning their own room (and bathroom if they have their own), washing their own linens, clothes, shopping for their own toiletries, etc.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Extension Au Pairs, Visa and Travel
Extension Au Pairs, Visas and Travel
Regarding legality, as long as your Au Pair’s extension has been approved through an official agency (one of the 12), she is legal to stay and ‘work’ for you until the end of her or his extension. From the standpoint of the US, she’s legal if we say she’s legal.
However, to travel outside the US with the ability to return to the US, your Au Pair has to have a legal visa issued by her own country. If her home country visa expires before the end of her extension year (which it likely does) she will probably not be able to travel outside the US and then return.
Travel: Visas and Extension Au Pair
If you have been granted a program extension for 6, 9 or 12 months, this means that you are legally allowed to remain in the United States for up to an additional 12 months to continue on the Au Pair. An extension of stay is for continued participation in the au pair program. However, the J-1 visa in your passport is at most a one-year visa. This means that during your program extension, it is likely that your visa will have expired. For the most part, you need a valid visa to enter the United States, and you therefore should not travel outside the country during your extension year.
Both sites advise that, although an extension au pair can travel to her home country, get a visa, and then return for her / his remaining (extension) time, there is no guarantee that her or his home country will extend the visa. If your Au Pairtravels home and can’t renew her visa– you lose out.
Your Au Pair can go home while her current home country visa is valid, apply for an extension, and return with or without a home country extension as long as her current home country visa is valid. That means, she can travel home during month 10 to try to get an early renewal, and still be able to come back (supposedly).
Remember, our advice here is based on experience– don’t count on this advice being completely accurate and timely.
Call goAUPAIR for the full details before you decide.
Readers, any additional advice to share?
Regarding legality, as long as your Au Pair’s extension has been approved through an official agency (one of the 12), she is legal to stay and ‘work’ for you until the end of her or his extension. From the standpoint of the US, she’s legal if we say she’s legal.
However, to travel outside the US with the ability to return to the US, your Au Pair has to have a legal visa issued by her own country. If her home country visa expires before the end of her extension year (which it likely does) she will probably not be able to travel outside the US and then return.
Travel: Visas and Extension Au Pair
If you have been granted a program extension for 6, 9 or 12 months, this means that you are legally allowed to remain in the United States for up to an additional 12 months to continue on the Au Pair. An extension of stay is for continued participation in the au pair program. However, the J-1 visa in your passport is at most a one-year visa. This means that during your program extension, it is likely that your visa will have expired. For the most part, you need a valid visa to enter the United States, and you therefore should not travel outside the country during your extension year.
Both sites advise that, although an extension au pair can travel to her home country, get a visa, and then return for her / his remaining (extension) time, there is no guarantee that her or his home country will extend the visa. If your Au Pairtravels home and can’t renew her visa– you lose out.
Your Au Pair can go home while her current home country visa is valid, apply for an extension, and return with or without a home country extension as long as her current home country visa is valid. That means, she can travel home during month 10 to try to get an early renewal, and still be able to come back (supposedly).
Remember, our advice here is based on experience– don’t count on this advice being completely accurate and timely.
Call goAUPAIR for the full details before you decide.
Readers, any additional advice to share?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Driver's License
Hi there,
I always advise my Au Pairs to get the state Driver's Liscence. In California scpecially for insurance purposes and also, to use as an ID, so you guys don't have to carry your passaport everywhere (not recommended!)
To get a DL is not that hard or expensive, the Au Pair needs first of all get a Social Security Card (go to the website http://www.ssa.gov and fill out the application priory to go to their office), once you have that in hand (it takes 2 weeks usually), you can go to the DMV and get a handbook to study for your test and also go online to your DMC website and make an apponitment to make things easier. Au Pair's can take up to 3 times the test in the same day (if needed), then once you pass, schedule the behind the wheel test and you shoould be all set!!! Take one step at the time and things are not that complicated!!!!
Here's some tips:
7 Ways to help your Au Pair get a US driver’s license
There are a few things that you can do as a host parent to make the licensing process easier on your Au Pair.
1. First, get a copy of your state driving regulations in your Au Pair’s native language as well as in English. Many states have manuals in several languages that can be downloaded at home, and some have even more manuals in more languages at the actual office.
2. Use your state’s DMV website — often they have practice written tests that people can use online to test their knowledge and improve their comfort with the material. And, the DMV will have descriptions of the actual road test too, so your au pair can think about what will be expected of him.her.
3. Call ahead to see if s/he can take the test in her own language. Not that s/he shouldn’t also read and learn the rules in English too, but taking the written test in your native language may reduce some of the stress.
4. Make sure that you take all of the documents required. Check on line for the list of what’s allowed, take all of them and a few extra ones too.
5. Make sure that your own car is up to date with registration, inspections, headlights, and a current insurance card. Send your au pair to take the test in a car that will pass!
6. I tend to be a hands-off host mom, but I’ve learned that it’s better to go with your Au Pair to the DMV when she goes to take her written test. Someone at our local DMV does not understand that a J1 working visa is different from a student visa, and has turned away more than one au pair who didn’t have a school transcript with her. It’s worthwhile to have a native English speaker there to explain the visa requirements so au pairs don’t have to stand in line for hours multiple times only to be turned away.
7. And, finally, my personal tip: Once you Au Pair gets his or her license, take your Au Pair and the kids out for ice cream. It’s important to celebrate! Plus, if the kids get ice cream after their shots, then surely your Au Pair should get ice cream after getting a US license!
Any other tips?
I always advise my Au Pairs to get the state Driver's Liscence. In California scpecially for insurance purposes and also, to use as an ID, so you guys don't have to carry your passaport everywhere (not recommended!)
To get a DL is not that hard or expensive, the Au Pair needs first of all get a Social Security Card (go to the website http://www.ssa.gov and fill out the application priory to go to their office), once you have that in hand (it takes 2 weeks usually), you can go to the DMV and get a handbook to study for your test and also go online to your DMC website and make an apponitment to make things easier. Au Pair's can take up to 3 times the test in the same day (if needed), then once you pass, schedule the behind the wheel test and you shoould be all set!!! Take one step at the time and things are not that complicated!!!!
Here's some tips:
7 Ways to help your Au Pair get a US driver’s license
There are a few things that you can do as a host parent to make the licensing process easier on your Au Pair.
1. First, get a copy of your state driving regulations in your Au Pair’s native language as well as in English. Many states have manuals in several languages that can be downloaded at home, and some have even more manuals in more languages at the actual office.
2. Use your state’s DMV website — often they have practice written tests that people can use online to test their knowledge and improve their comfort with the material. And, the DMV will have descriptions of the actual road test too, so your au pair can think about what will be expected of him.her.
3. Call ahead to see if s/he can take the test in her own language. Not that s/he shouldn’t also read and learn the rules in English too, but taking the written test in your native language may reduce some of the stress.
4. Make sure that you take all of the documents required. Check on line for the list of what’s allowed, take all of them and a few extra ones too.
5. Make sure that your own car is up to date with registration, inspections, headlights, and a current insurance card. Send your au pair to take the test in a car that will pass!
6. I tend to be a hands-off host mom, but I’ve learned that it’s better to go with your Au Pair to the DMV when she goes to take her written test. Someone at our local DMV does not understand that a J1 working visa is different from a student visa, and has turned away more than one au pair who didn’t have a school transcript with her. It’s worthwhile to have a native English speaker there to explain the visa requirements so au pairs don’t have to stand in line for hours multiple times only to be turned away.
7. And, finally, my personal tip: Once you Au Pair gets his or her license, take your Au Pair and the kids out for ice cream. It’s important to celebrate! Plus, if the kids get ice cream after their shots, then surely your Au Pair should get ice cream after getting a US license!
Any other tips?
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