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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Related communication came from ccap tonight.

We hope you and your loved ones are all doing well and staying safe during this difficult time. We are writing today to share an important update with you regarding the au pair program and to provide some clarifying information regarding other updates you may have received.  We are providing this information to all active participants on the program, even if these updates don’t apply to your specific situation, in an effort to be transparent with new program information that has become available.

Cultural Care Au Pair J-1 VISA Program Update:

We are pleased to share that the U.S. Department of State has just confirmed that in light of the COVID-19 situation, they will extend the program term for au pairs with a program end date between April 1 and May 31, 2020 for two additional months.  This will allow au pairs to be able to remain on the program or to have additional time to finalize travel plans to return home without concern that unexpected delays may impact their visa status.

Additionally, for au pairs who completed their exchange program in March but remain in the U.S. due to circumstances outside of their control (i.e., lack of flight availability, flight cancellations, illness, etc.), the Department will work with Cultural Care to confirm a reinstatement and extension resulting in a modified program end date of May 31, 2020.

The Department will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and should they make any additional options available or provide any additional information, we will provide that to you right away.

We know that many families and au pairs have been asking about whether it would be possible to extend their program participation dates and have clearly indicated their strong desire to see this become an option. We are so pleased that the State Department has responded to the advocacy of program participants as well as our outreach as an organization on behalf of our participants.  The Department clearly recognizes this challenging time and has offered this flexibility to the program, for which we are so grateful.

We want you to know that we are listening to you, advocating for you and we know that this additional flexibility can offer some much needed support for both hosting families and au pairs. While this update only applies to those within a specific time-frame, it is an important change that we wanted to make sure our entire community is aware of.  The State Department’s flexibility and response to this crisis underscores their support for the program overall and their commitment to those who are part of the cultural exchange community.

Frequently Asked Questions

We know there will be many questions and we are working to get additional details, but we wanted to provide an initial overview of what we know so far:

Do I have to pay a fee to extend my program participation for an additional 2 months? No, neither host families nor au pairs will need to pay fees for this 2-month program extension.

When will I hear if this is an option for me? If the program end date for an au pair falls between April 1 and May 31, this is an option for you.  If the end date for an au pair occurred in March and they are still in the U.S. and wish to remain, this can be an option for you.  Au pairs should check the dates on their DS-2019 form to confirm their program end date.

What if my term ends in June, does this affect me? Can I extend too? At this time, this is only applicable to end dates through May 31st, but we will provide any updates if this should expand and include additional participants.

If my au pair is reinstated for the additional 2 months, how does the 30-day grace period work?  It is our understanding that the 30-day grace period will come at the end of the 2-month extension because that is the new end date of the program.

Will my au pair's insurance coverage continue during the additional 2 months?   Yes, while au pairs remain active on the program AND during the 30-day grace period, insurance coverage will continue.

Will au pairs receive an updated DS-2019 form reflecting these new dates?  Yes, we will prepare updated DS-2019 forms to reflect the updated end dates.  We will send them as soon as we are able to do so which may take some time due to restricted access to our office by order of the Governor of Massachusetts.

If an au pair is already in their extension term, does this still apply? Yes, it applies to all active au pairs with a program end date in April or May, regardless of whether it is their first year or extension term.

Do all program regulations still apply during these additional 2 months? Yes, if an au pair extends for any length of time and continues on the program, all rules and regulations must be followed including stipend payment, daily and weekly work hour limitations, and time off.

What do I need to do to opt for the 2-month reinstatement?

Please note that if the end date for an au pair (as detailed on their DS-2019 form) is between April 1 and May 31, 2020 there is no immediate action that needs to be taken.  We will be reaching out in the coming days for confirmation from families and au pairs about their intention to continue forward for this extended time frame and to review any flight changes that may need to be made to accommodate the adjusted departure date.  We will also be communicating directly with those au pairs who had an end date in March 2020 who are still in the U.S. and to determine whether they wish to avail themselves of this opportunity and how that will work moving forward.

We are currently working through additional details and will be in touch with more information once it is available.  However, we know that learning of this initial update right away would be of great interest to all of you.

April Fool’s Misinformation

It has come to our attention that there were at least 2 emails that circulated to some au pairs and families yesterday as an April Fool’s joke that appeared to come from Cultural Care.  These fake communications referenced all au pairs needing to return home as well as immediate changes to stipend requirements.   Please know that these emails were not generated by our organization and do not reflect accurate information.  We apologize for any anxiety that this may have caused to our participants during an already difficult time. Please note that official communications from Cultural Care will come from aupair@culturalcare.com, marketing@culturalcare.com, extend@culturalcare.com, followup@culturalcare.com or support@culturalcare.com.

Thank you for your participation in the program, and please know that we are always here to support you. At a time when there may be more questions than answers, please know that we are working hard to provide any new information as quickly as possible. Please check our COVID-19 FAQ page on Help for additional information, and feel free to call us anytime at 1-800-333-6056.

Sincerely,

Dan Sodervall
President
Cultural Care Au Pair
[/quote]

Thanks for posting this! I am not with CCAP but my agency APC is always behind (or inactive) when it comes from this kind of stuffs![/quote]

I don't think DOS sent the message to all sponsors at the same time.  I work with other J categories and we haven't received an email yet but it is posted on the NAFSA website: https://www.nafsa.org/regulatory-information/dos-implements-automatic-j-1-program-extensions-some-response-covid-19[/quote]

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