Important and Helpful Information for Au Pairs

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Important and Helpful Information for Au Pairs

​ ocal Coordinator: ​Christine Sgueglia Cell:508 740 8907 Email​: L [email protected] Customer Relations Manager: ​Now rotational, will be assigned as necessary

If you experience an emergency and are unable to reach me, please contact CCAP at 1-800-333-6056 and choose option 9 to speak with a representative managing our emergency line.* Operations Department: ​(For questions about flights, visas, phone cards, and more.) Tel: 1-800-448-5753 Email: [email protected] Account Services Department: ​(For questions about your ​educational requirements​, meeting requirements, holidays, vacation time, transition rules and requirements, help with household rules, car and driving rules, medical insurance questions, and more.) Tel: 1-800-333-6056 Email: [email protected] TO DO RIGHT AWAY Print your I-94 (immigration entry card) https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/i-94-instructions Get a Social Security Card - https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/ a. You will need: Form DS-2019 – Passport- Form I-94- Social Security Letter from Cultural Care that you can find in your online account. b. Social Security Offices in the area: *10 Fawcett Street in Cambridge https://www.ssofficelocation.com/cambridge-social-security-office-so1674 *10 Causeway St, Rm 438, Boston or *4238 Washington St Roslindale, MA 02131 Open a Bank Account – Bring Passport- Social Security Card- Form DS2019, NOTE: Some Banks don't require a social security so it all varies on which bank you want to use! Have form DS-2019 signed at our main office located at: ​One Education

Street-Cambridge, MA 02141. It is good for 1 year, and you will need it when you travel out of the USA. Please do this as soon as you can. Our office is open ONLY on weekdays from 9 a.m to 5 p.m Au Pair responsibilities: Monthly Meetings: o ​You must attend at least ​11 monthly meetings ​during the year. I prefer if you attend mine on a regular basis, but if you can’t you should attend another LCC from Cultural Care to make it up. You must inform me when you go to another LCC meeting and make sure you sign in with them at their meeting. o Call or email me before right away if you are not or are attending the meeting.

Please explain why you cannot attend. If you are sick or on vacation these are valid reasons to miss a meeting.

Working Hours/ State Department Regulations o 45 hours per week maximum; 1 1/2 consecutive days off per week; o 10 hours per day maximum. o 1 full weekend off per month (end of host family’s work day Friday night to the au pair’s start time Monday morning) o 2 weeks paid vacation mutually decided upon by the au pair and host family. o If you take a vacation that includes a weekend, you are not allowed to take an extra weekend off. o Au Pairs should have a written weekly work schedule that specifies when they begin and end work each day. ● There are NOT designated HOLIDAYS for the au pairs. Although we recommend that host families give their au pairs some holidays. It is the family’s decision which holidays to give to the au pair

Helpful Class Links, General Information Links and Travel Ideas for Au Pairs! ​Education:

*You must complete 6 credits or 72 hours of educational credits at one of the colleges listed under “Helpful Links”, “Au Pair Education” ​*Online courses DON’T count as educational credits. *Volunteer activities DON’T count as educational credits. *You can also ask a professor to allow you to sit in a class for free for hours( This only works in they write a formal Letter Head from school of the hours you have done and must be an approved school) ​Classes that some Au Pairs have recommended:

https://www.aupairclasses.org/ http://approachusa.org/ https://www.bostonschoolofenglish.com/en/english-program s Mass Bay Community College Weekend combined courses: Journey through North America/Au Pair Weekend course: East Coast Adventures: https://eastcoastedventures.com/ Bunker Hill:Discover Boston Au Pair Weekend Classes TOEFL Courses: No credit just for experience. https://www.bhcc.edu/esl/eslcourses/ Harvard Extension School https://www.extension.harvard.edu Stafford House for English Courses https://www.staffordhouse.com/ * https://massart.edu/continuing-education *​ https://silverbayaupaircourse.com/ *​ http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/About/Offices/Au-Pai r *The Academy in Harvard Square

**Search for school/course link: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home

TRAVELING AND VISA ● Au Pairs are in this country under a multiple entry 12 month J-1 Cultural Exchange Visa. This visa allows you to stay in this country as an au pair for 12 months with an additional 13th month allowed for travel. You ​may not ​travel outside of The United States during your 13th month. Au pairs from some countries may travel to Canada and Mexico during the first 12 months without an extra visa. Others must first obtain a separate visa. ● All au pairs traveling outside of the U.S. must have ​their DS-2019 form signed by the Cultural Care Operations Department in our Main Office located at : One Education Street-Cambridge, MA 02141 ● ​Extension au pairs are NOT allowed to travel outside the USA during their extension year. They can ONLY travel to Canada, Mexico, and some adjacent islands, except CUBA. What happens if an au pair travels outside of the U.S.without her/his signed DS-2019 form? ​The au pair will most likely be allowed back in the U.S., but only for a conditional 30-day period.. Take the train across America with USA Rail Pass https://www.amtrak.com/take-the-trains-across-america-with-usa-rail-pass

Tourist Visa Information: https://www.visahq.com/?utm_expid=.y1vVSPRoS9GU7fX4NNo9Hw.0&utm_referrer=http%3A %2F%2Fmpena.aupairnews.com%2Fhelpful-links%2F Travels for Au Pairs: https://www.trekamerica.com/aupair Things to do in Boston: https://www.boston.gov/moving

Sports https://bssc.com/ MBTA Information https://www.mbta.com / Hostels: http://www.hostels.com/ Helpful MA driving Information MA Driving info Link https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-identification-id-requirements Registry of Motor Vehicles: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-registry-of-motor-vehicles/locations?_page= 1 Free Driving test online link: https://driving-tests.org/massachusetts/massachusetts-dmv-practice-test / Transfer a License to MA: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/transfer-your-drivers-license-from-a-foreign-country https://www.mass.gov/how-to/transfer-your-out-of-state-drivers-license-to-massachusetts

Driver’s License: All au pairs are allowed to drive in MA with their International Driver’s License for their first year. Please make copies of your forms (I-94-DS2019, and Passport) and always keep them in a ziploc bag in the glove compartment of the car. Keep your Driver’s License, and International Driver’s License with you when you are driving. If you are an au pair from Mexico, Germany, France, or Taiwan you can transfer your

home country driver’s license to a MA driver’s license, but you will have to surrender your Driver’s License from your home country. Please visit this link for more information: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/transfer-your-drivers-license-from-a-foreig n-country

Drivers licence Information for extension Au Pair: You will need to know this but I am not to be liable if changes happen and this information is no longer accurate: If an AU Pair is leaving or is to leave the country the re-entry form to the USA is what Au Pairs need to start a new I-94 . Example If an Au Pair goes out to Canada or Mexico before your extension term begins, and re-enter the USA, they get a new form, which kind of starts the clock all over again. However, my advice is that if Au Pair knows they are extending, apply for a MA license for at least 3 months before the extension term.

Health Insurance Link: ​File a claim link: https://www.aetna.com/dsepublic/#/contentPage?page=providerSearchLanding&site_id=erik a https://www.erikainsurance.com/coverage-details/

MEDICAL INFORMATION FOR AU PAIRS To learn more about Medical Insurance Coverage, Payments, and Medications please go to: ALSO YOUR CULTURAL PROFILE PAGE HAS YOU PLAN NUMBER AND START AND END DATES: ALWAY REFERENCE YOUR CARD OR PROFILE... http://www.aetna.com/dse/search?site_id=erika

Au Pairs don’t get a primary but can if they want to pay out of pocket! EMERGENCY

● You may go to any Emergency Room in any hospital in Boston. The closest hospitals in Cambridge/ Charlestown : ● Care Well who accept Aetna insurance ( Always ask first) ● Recommended Place if you are Sick is ​MT AUBURN HOSPITAL www.mtauburnhospital.com (This medical group takes new patients and accepts AETNA insurance. However, this is not my persona recommendation or I have any affiliation with them in any way, nor can I guarantee that their insurance affiliation or new patient policies won’t change). ​YOU CAN ALSO GO TO ANY URGENT CARE UNIT NEAR YOUR HOST FAMILIES HOME!