Travel Outside the U.S.

Before making any plans for international travel during your au pair year, including travel to Canada and Mexico, please make sure to first complete the following checklist. If you have any questions regarding international travel, please contact Au Pair Care at 1.800.428.7247.

1. Send your DS-2019 form to Au Pair Care in San Francisco to be authorized for travel outside of the United States.

• If you do not see a signature and date in the "Travel Validation by Responsible Officer" box in the lower right corner of the DS-2019 form, please send your DS-2019 form with a letter, outlining your dates of travel to:

  Au Pair Care
  Attn: Responsible Officer
  600 California Street, 10th Floor
  San Francisco, CA 94108.

  Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please do not send your passport to Au Pair Care. The travel validation signature is valid for one year. You do not need to have the form signed for each international trip.

• Please allow up to 7-10 business days for your DS-2019 form to be signed and sent back. If you need your form immediately, please include $20 so that Au Pair Care can express mail your signed form to you. Or, you may bring your form in person to the San Francisco office for signature if you live nearby.

2. Check the J-1 visa inside your passport to make sure it will not expire prior to the date you plan to return to the U.S.

• You will not be allowed to re-enter the United States if your visa has expired before the date you re-enter from a vacation abroad. If it has expired, you will have to make an appointment at a U.S. Embassy outside of the United States to have a new J-1 visa issued. There are no guarantees your visa will be approved at that time.
  Please contact Au Pair Care at 1.800.428.7247 for more information about this process prior to your departure.

• It is extremely important for au pairs to check the expiration date on their J-1 Visa before they plan a trip outside of the United States.  The J-1 visa usually reflects the dates listed on the DS-2019 form.  In some rare cases, the Embassy may issue the visa based on the au pair’s visa appointment date instead.

3. Check the J-1 visa inside your passport to make sure that it states "M" for multiple entries.

• This “M” means that you can enter and leave the United States multiple times as long as your visa has not expired and your travel takes place during the dates listed on your DS-2019 form.
• If your J-1 visa is stamped "S" for single entry, you will not be able to travel outside of the United States during your program.

4. Contact the local foreign embassy of the country where you intend to travel.

The Embassy will provide you with information about any special visas you may need for travel to that country. You are responsible for requesting and securing any necessary visas. Be aware that this can be a lengthy process, so apply for any visas as early as possible. Au Pair Care does not participate in this process.

• For information on travel to Canada, visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/
• For information on travel to Mexico, visit http://www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm

5. When you travel, be sure to bring all of the following:

• Your DS-2019 form that has been signed for travel
• I-94 card
• J-1 Visa inside the passport
• First page of the passport, which includes the holder's name and passport number

Please make a photocopy of each document and keep them safely stored with you in case you happen to lose any of these important documents. This will make it easier to obtain replacements if needed.

6. Do not travel outside of the United States beyond the dates listed on your DS-2019 form.

Au Pair Care recommends that you complete all international travel prior to the start of the "30-day grace period" at the conclusion of your program. You will not be allowed to re-enter the United States as of the first day of your “grace period.”