SashieZ

Hi all

My cousin's son would like to spend a year in NY in order to improve his English. He wants to get a job and hopefully live in Manhattan /Brooklyn. I pretty much told him this is not easy to do - impossible even. Will we have to sponsor him? He won't be sponsored by a Company so I don't even think he will be allowed to work. My feeling is he should try and get an au pair situation. I did some research online regarding Visas - US immigration website - but can anyone recommend another site?

I told him to go to the American embassy in france and get some information. It seems like he is leaving everything up to me...don't you think he should be doing some leg work?

Although I love having my relatives from Europe visit and stay with me, a one year visit is a bit much. I'm hoping you will all say it's impossible.

thanks again

Aduchamp1

There are a number of French bistros in our neighborhood in Manhattan where the wait staff have French accents. So they either they are very good actors from New Jersey or working here.

As to the legalities of the stay, you are correct he must do his homework. They could be students for all I know, making a couple pf extra euros on the side.

J62

The burden is on him. The US Embassy is the place for him to go, so you've already pointed him in the right direction. The INS or whatever it's called now is the definitive authority.

He probably also thinks an apartment in NYC will cost

nanabee

It sounds like this may be something more important to your cousin than his son. I wouldn't research out anything until the son contacts you. Once he does I would tell him you can give advice on what it is like to live in NYC but he needs to do the leg work.

nanabee

sorry sashie, i miss read, i thought your cousin contacted you about his son. looks like the son did contact you.

Daniel_Williams

Without company sponsorship or without paying $$$ to go to a university, I agree his chances are slim to none (legally), not to mention that dealing with anything immigration is a royal headache.

If improving his English is what he wants to do while working, this cousin-once-removed I'd suggest would be better off considering an English-language EU location such as the UK or Ireland and instead fulfill his dream of enjoying the USA at some point on an extended holiday.

SashieZ

thanks very much. I like the idea of suggesting an english language school in the UK and if he is set on the US, to try and find an au pair job.

Fra_Diavolo

I think his best option is to apply for a "J" visa under the exchange visitor program. Here's a link to the State Dept's information page on the program:

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1267.html

RoamsAround

Finding an au pair job may not be as easy as it sounds. The potential employer will have to prove to the US Department of Labor that they are unable to find a US citizen or a Green Card Holder qualified to fill the position and your friend's son will have to demonstrate he has the experience and qualifications to fill the position. It's a difficult process (but not necessarilly impossible) and can often take a year or more to negotiate and even then there are never any guarantees the applicant will be approved for the position.

Placename

1. He will have to apply for a visitor visa B1/B2. Those have an allowable time in the US of 180 days, which can be renewed, for cause.

2. He is not eligible to work in the US while here as a visitor. There is no Working Holiday Visa for the US other than the J-1, BUNAC-type visa.

3. You cannot sponsor him for a job, unless it is through the BUNAC-type system. Google BUNAC for details.

4. He should consider an educational visa. He will need to be accepted by an accredited college or university ( no home school stuff allowed).

5. Your cousin's son should be doing this legwork, not you.
Give him the website name and tell him to do the investigation. If he can't figure out how to do this himself, there is no reason why you are obligated to do it.

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tem...ypes_1286.html

nytraveler

I beleive the only way he can stay for that length of time is on a student visa (registered at a legitimate college) or a special work visa requiring that there is no american who can do the job (for instance, a famous opera star). Otherwise work is illegal. And staying that long is illegal. If found he would be deported on the spot.

Granted, a lot of visitors overstay their visas and get cash only jobs - but it's not an easy process and there is always the legal risk involved.

A friend of mine hired several illegal au pairs - but all were young women from Ireland or Scotland who came from large families, had experience caring for small children and had references from their priest or minister. I can;t imagine hiring a young man with no childcare qualifiations who can;t speak reasoably good English as an au pair.

SashieZ

Maybe I wasn't clear, but I don't want to do anything illegal. I also don't want him living with me for a year or even six months. As an au pair (gotten through an agency) he would be living with another family and have access to NYC. I don't think he will be coming for a while, he needs to finish school. He can certainly apply for an au pair position and see what happens. With regard to a student visa, I don't know if he has the money to go to school here and pay for the dorm as well. But it is certainly an option.

thanks again

lincasanova

Au Pairs now are required to have some Red Cross curses, and males are VERY difficult to place. He would need to go through an Au Pair agency and they will help guide him with the VIsa papers.


If he is a full time student there is a summer work visa he can get for several months plus travel time after woking.

He also must contact the Embassy or a student program that facilitates participation in these programs.

nytraveler

He can't get a visa as an au pair unless there are no americans willing to be au pairs - and there are a lot that are. Also, most families would want a young woman, not a man.

What experience does he have to act as an au pair? Has he ever even changed a diaper, never mind cared for a terrible two? And if the kids are older it means ferrying them from one activity to another - and a US divers license? Is he willing to put in all those hours a week caring for kids, doing laundry? Can he cook at all? (SOme people seem to thing being an au pair is easy - there's substantial work and a LOT of responsibility involved.)

He seems to want an awful lot - but I have yet to hear what he has to offer.

portiaperu

When my children were young I had au pairs through a program called Au Pair in America. It was approved as a student exchange program - the au pair is granted a one year visa and must fulfill an educational requirement at a local school.

There are several of these programs, or there were ten or so years ago.

There are age restrictions, I believe many programs engage 18-22 year olds.

There are many responsibilities but there are also benefits to coming to the US in this type of program, especially when it is so very difficult to come in any other capacity. Many families include their au pair in their lives. They may travel, have a car, etc. Depending on their relationship with their family, living arrangements, and the geographic area (NYC?), being an au pair could be considerably better than waiting tables.

Each program has guidelines for work hours, responsibilities, pay, etc.

Our au pairs enjoyed their stay. Several have returned to visit with us years later.

This may work for your cousin, if he is of the right age and is able to care for children (not necessarily infants, we had au pairs until our children were well into their teens). It's not glamorous - but it's one way to come to the States for a year.

sarge56

If found he would be deported on the spot.

This line had me in fits of hysterical laughter. Do you think someone mentioned this to the 13 million illegals here now?

When we were at Epcot last year, we ate at the German restaurant there. We talked to our young German waiter quite a bit. He said Disney recruits young men and women from European countries to come and work at the Disney properties in Epcot. He was from Hamburg and had been in the US only 10 months. But he loved it. He took all his free time to travel around the US. Three-day weekends in New York and Chicago and L.A. His English was quite good. But he told us it was not at all good when he arrived. He said working in the US had greatly improved his English skills.

Tell your cousin to contact Disney. He might not be in New York, but he could certainly improve his English working for Disney.

NeoPatrick

"If found he would be deported on the spot.

This line had me in fits of hysterical laughter. Do you think someone mentioned this to the 13 million illegals here now?"

Too funny, Sarge. Are you suggesting there are actually illegals living in the US who were not deported on the spot? Wow. Astonishing!

And funny you mention Disney, living in Florida, I've had some contact with a number of foreigners who do the Disney program. I forget how it works exactly, but they are hired to work and Disney takes care of the legalities, then they also are given extra time to travel in the US. It seems a great program.

nytraveler

The workers at Disney are NOT illegal - Disney has sponsored them. People who come on tourist visas and overstay them are subject to deportation if found. The police don't go roaming the street looking for them. (As I said, a friend of mine had several illegal au paris with no problems at all.) But if for some reason the young man comes in contact with the police or other authorities and has no visa he will be deported.

A program as described that sponsors young people after they have received some training looks like it might be a possibility. As for the ages of the kids, the people I know with au pairs have kids ranging from infant through 10 or 11 - after that typically a housekeeper provides anything the kids need along with cleaning the house - since the kids are much more self-sufficient.

But typically being an au pari is a full-time job and the employer also requires that the au pair observe the rules of the house (not inviting friends into the house, coming in at a reasonable hour at night etc. (My friend had one unsuccessful au pair that started staying out with friends until 2 or 3 in the am - and then not able to get up to care for kids at 7 - that she had to get rid of very quickly.)

SashieZ

What great information, thank you.

I will pass on the Disney information. And if the main reason is to learn english - then this is a good opportunity. If, on the other hand, he wants to come to New York only, he has a problem.

My cousin's son did not say he wanted to be an au pair, I thought it could be a possibility. My sister in law had an au pair and I realize how much work is involved. I met other au pairs and heard nightmare stories (I'm sure the sponsors had stories of their own!) and thought this is something I would never want to do. I thought maybe he could work for a family with older children. Again, just a thought, he is the one who will have to pursue that if interested.

so now, he has three possibilities...au pair (unlikely), disney and BUNAC. What bothers me is he is not researching on his own.

thank you

Placename

"What bothers me is he is not researching on his own"

This is likely a significant predictor for the success of his wish.