My au pair wants to stay in the U.S. - anyone have experience with this?

[Anonymous]

I was an au pair who stayed and this is how I did it.
I was young when I arrived (19 years old) and worked for my host family for the first six months before I enrolled in school (Montgomery College) full time at the second half of my year (the kids were in school from 8.30 -2.30 pm so I took classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays – my host family was supportive – and did assignments on weekends). Because my host family were residents and I was under their care, I treated as a resident and thus paid in state tuition. Once I was enrolled in school, I worked with the international advisor to get all my paperwork together (I got an affidavit from my parents in my home country and I saved aggressively for the 1st six months so I had over three semesters of instate tuition saved up in my bank account) so when my J-1 (au pair) visa was a few months from running out, I would be able to start the process to change my status. I left my family in the month of May and by then; I submitted my paperwork to immigration for processing to change my status as I took a break from school for the summer. I looked for a room in the local papers (Craigslist and all the various online sites we have now were not as efficient) and eventually found a family in DC who had older kids and were willing to give me room and board in exchange of afternoon child care. I also go a part time job that paid me $12 an hour and babysit for parents who I had met while I was an au pair. I got a job as a waitress and worked on Fri, Sat and Sun for as many hours as I could until I had saved up enough money to pay for my tuition the following semester. I pretty much did this for the next two years until I graduated from MC. I worked with my international advisor to transfer my credits to UMD. By this time, I had started a relationship with a guy I had met a few weeks after my arrival who had been a friend but became more. I continued to go to school, working odd jobs, babysitting, etc., while we dated and in my last semester of college, he asked me to marry him. It was at that point that I was able to adjust my status and became a permanent resident. Fast forward 10 years and I have been in the US legally for the past 15 years (I am a U.S. Citizen now). I am no longer married, but my ex and I still remain very good friends.

[Anonymous]

How did you work while you were a student? We're you on a student visa or so e other visa which gives the right to work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you work while you were a student? We're you on a student visa or so e other visa which gives the right to work?

I adjusted my status to a student visa and applied for authorization to work from USCIS. This was hard to obtain and I needed a lawyer because it is only provided in extreme cases (your sponsor can no longer support you - you have to provide proof, or you come from a country where the conversion of the dollar to your local currency is so large - this was my case) and limits the number of hours you work. For the babysitting and waitress jobs, I got paid cash.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. When was this/ I suspect things are much tighter and take longer these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. When was this/ I suspect things are much tighter and take longer these days.

This was in 2004. If you want more information, I am happy to provide it. We can email if that would be easier.

[jsteele]

We have an Au Pair discussion forum in our new Nanny Forums section that is more appropriate for this type of question:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/nanny-forum/