Naturally, many participants want to travel to see more of the U.S. In some AFS communities and/or host families, participants have the opportunity to travel with their host family or school. However, the AFS experience is built around immersion into the host family, school, and community, and additional travel is not a focus of the AFS program.
When traveling, AFS compulsory events and participant school attendance must NOT be interrupted. Furthermore, the AFS Participation Agreement, which is signed by all AFS participants and their parents, states:
We understand that participation is assigned for one AFS program and that participants will remain in their host community for the duration of the program and will not leave prior to the conclusion of the program, nor travel between home and host community during the program. It is understood that participants will return to their home country at the conclusion of the program.
Participants are not allowed to return to their home country during their AFS program, for the same reasons that we discourage visits from parent(s)/guardian(s)/sibling(s) and friends. A trip to the home country interrupts the student’s integration into American life, as relationships and cultural norms from home are resumed. Host parents’ roles are also interrupted, which may confuse relationships and/or weaken the bond you have built with your host family. Therefore, we ask that you not plan to take trips back to your country during the AFS program.
AFS Guidelines for Independent Travel
AFS-USA travel guidelines are designed to maintain the integrity of AFS Programs and to help participants adapt fully to their lives as exchange students in the U.S. AFS Participants have obligations to their host families, communities, and schools. In addition, AFS is responsible for participants; AFS must know a participant's whereabouts in the event of an emergency. So that participant and family travel is managed within the context of these factors, AFS-USA has established the following guidelines.
Unauthorized participant travel away from the host family or host community is strictly prohibited and can result in Program Termination - Early Return.
Some types of travel do not require special permission and some types require permission from AFS, in the form of a Travel Waiver. The table below outlines some of these situations. Even if a Travel Waiver is not required, the host family should always notify their AFS Liaison or Area Support Coordinator of any overnight stays outside of the host community.
Independent travel is not permitted in the first 5 months of the program and requests made to local volunteers and AFS-USA must be made 3 weeks prior to travel otherwise they may not be approved.
Hosted Participant Travel Guidelines
| Situation |
Travel waiver required |
Maximum length | School absence permitted |
Additional Restrictions/ Conditions |
|
| 1 | Spending the night with a local friend of the participant or host family within the host community | No | 4 nights | No | Prudent Parent Stay* applies for a stay of up to 4 nights. Longer stays require host family screening. |
| 2 | Travel with host parents or host family household member who is at least 25 years of age (21-24 with AFS Support Coordinator permission) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and J-1 visa requirements | None |
| 3 | Domestic travel with AFS volunteer who is at least 25 years of age (21-24 with AFS Support Coordinator permission) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and J-1 visa requirements | None |
| 4 | Required/official school trip (required as condition of being in a school group such as choir or band and with school chaperones) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and J-1 visa requirements | None |
| 5 | Optional school trip (organized by someone at school such as a teacher but not an official or required trip, such as a senior trip) | No | Subject to school guidelines | Yes, as long as it complies with school guidelines and J-1 visa requirements | None |
| 6 | Belo Tours (optional trip; not a required AFS program activity) | Yes | 14 days | Up to 5 days with school permission | Case by case for semester students before the last month of the program |
| 7 |
Travel with organized group in host community such as church or scouts
|
Yes | 10 days | Up to 5 days with school permission | None |
| 8 | To visit, without a host parent, a host family member not in household such as aunt or grandmother, who lives outside of the host community | Yes | 10 days | No | None |
| 9 | Friends from home country come to visit the student in the host community | No, as long as student stays in host community. The student is not permitted to stay at hotel with the friends in host community. | 10 days | No | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program. Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program. Friends should not plan to stay with the host family but rather are expected to arrange for their own place to stay |
| 10 | Travel with sending family from home country | No | 10 days | No | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month or program. Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program. |
| 11 | Travel with friends (who are at least 25 years of age) from student's home country who are visiting the U.S. | Yes | 10 days | No | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month or program. Strongly recommend no visit prior to the last month of program. |
| 12 | To visit friends over the age of 25 from student's home country who live in the U.S. | Yes | 10 days | No | Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program. Any exception must be approved by AFS-USA staff |
| 13 | To visit the home of the host family of another AFSer who is hosted in the U.S. and the student is travelling alone to the host family home | No | 4 nights | No |
Must have been on program for 5 months or in last month of program. Any exception must be approved by AFS-USA staff. Requires permission of other AFSers support coordinator. (If the stay exceeds 4 nights, or the visit was arranged by AFS, a visit notification must be sent, and any required consents obtained.)
|
| 14 | Other travel | Yes | 10 days | No | Case by case basis |
Short Stays Away from Your Host Family
On occasion, your host parents may need to be away for a short period of time for a business trip or family emergency, for example. In such cases you can stay in the care of a close friend or relative for up to four nights without your host parents needing permission from AFS. However, prior to such a stay your host parents must inform your AFS Liaison of the duration of the stay, and the contact information for the adult or family with whom you will temporarily stay. If the temporary stay will be longer than four nights and/or the host parents are unable to find a close friend or relative with whom you can stay, AFS volunteers or staff will identify a screened family for you.
Steps for Obtaining Approval for Independent Travel
All requests for Independent Travel must be made to your Liaison at least three weeks prior to your proposed departure date. All of the following steps must be taken BEFORE AFS will consider approval for an Independent Travel request. Only AFTER approval has been granted should you begin making concrete travel plans:
AFS participants must first obtain approval for Independent Travel from the host family, Area Team Support Coordinator (ATSC) or designated volunteer and AFS staff. The participant should inform the host family and volunteers of the dates and destinations of the proposed travel, as well as the purpose of the trip. In all cases of participant travel, the participant must provide emergency contact information to an AFS volunteer or staff person. This contact information should include the participant’s travel plans and itinerary, accommodations, and how the participant can be contacted in case of emergency. If the host family and ATSC or designated volunteer do NOT grant permission, the participant will NOT be allowed to go on the trip.
If the host family and volunteers approve the participant's request for travel, volunteers must confirm the plans with AFS-USA.
- Natural parent permission is required for all Independent Travel. The participant is responsible for contacting the natural family to inform them of the travel request.
- The natural family must then make a formal request to the AFS office in the participant's home country for a Travel Waiver. A Travel Waiver releases AFS-USA from any costs, arrangements, or responsibility for any actions to or by the participant during the travel period. Participants are not released from the terms and conditions of the AFS Participation Agreement during travel.
- The AFS office in the participant's home country will forward a signed copy of the Travel Waiver to AFS-USA. Participants may not travel until the signed waiver has arrived in the National Office.
When the preceding four steps have been completed, the participant is free to make travel arrangements. AFS participants may NOT make travel arrangements until these steps are completed and the travel is APPROVED by ALL parties. Travel must be completed no later than 7 days prior to a participant’s scheduled departure date.
If you have any questions regarding visits or travel policy, please contact your liaison, host family and support coordinator first and they will inform of the next steps to take...