Our au pair had said she would extend for another year but has changed her mind and wants to go home because of COVID. How many others are in this position and were blindsided? |
I am not sure that I would use the word "blindsided." But our au pair left last month. I cannot blame her. This situation sucks. |
Frankly I'm not sure why an au pair would want to be here right now. This isn't at all what they signed up for. |
Our AP just extended. |
Plenty of APs have left, plenty more will.
Even for an AP who arived in January and got caught in the covid situation 2 months in. There's almost no way life will be back to normal (travel and event wise) before the end of the year or even before their year end. Whatever US experience they had imagined for themselves, they won't be able to get it. I don't blame them for not wanting to stay here with, for the most part, more workload and less freedom than they had signed up for, especially when for some their home country is doing way better and have much more freedom of movement. |
Our au pair just extended. The money is a big draw. Plus, her own country is an emerging hot spot. |
Yep, our au pair has been here for two years and a month and will be extending for another six months. If she goes back to her home country (probably the same country), she’s very unlikely to be able to get a job and the health situation isn’t good. Also, we’re paying $500 a week. I think it is extremely dependent on the home country situation. |
Sorry if I am missing something but how is it possible to extend beyond 2 years? |
Um, what now? $500/week? |
The State Department is making a special exemption for au pairs wrapping up their second year in a certain time frame and allowing them to extend for another six months. I think it’s a relatively narrow group of people. |
Solely because it’s impossible to get some home, and very, very difficult for others. Covid has changed so much! |
DP but lots of us are paying much more because of covid childcare struggles. My German AP probably would have gone home otherwise and isn’t extending either way. |
Yes, but also because it just felt like the right thing to do. She's gone from a maybe 20 hour a week job to a 45 hour a week job that is much harder. And it's still way less than what we would pay a nanny. |
When you add in room, food, cellphone, transportation, education, etc, $500/week for an au pair doesn't make sense. But you do you. |
At the same time State Department wants to ban J1 Visa, it is clear they have no idea WTF they are doing. |