Au Pair Program
The Au Pair Program, a category within the U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA (also known as the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP)), has been promoting daily cultural exchange in American homes for more than 30 years. Through the Au Pair Program, participants and host families take part in a mutually rewarding, intercultural opportunity. Each year, au pairs care for over 50,000 children across 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Recently, there have been a number of efforts to strengthen the Au Pair program, such as a bill that would include Au Pair as a reimbursable expense for active duty families. There are also some challenges, including efforts to reclassify this Federal cultural exchange program into a domestic worker program, as well as a recent moratorium on program growth.
Please see below for key resources relating to these efforts, including actions taken by the Alliance to support and strengthen the Au Pair program.
Key Resources
Program & Policy Updates
Ensuring Programmatic Integrity: Commenting on the Au Pair Proposed Regulation
By Mark Overmann A critical area of the Alliance’s advocacy efforts is engaging in the Department of State’s regulatory processes. When the Department proposes changes to the function and implementation of a program, the Alliance engages impacted members, partners,...
Au Pair Program Clarifying Regulation
Background: On October 30, 2023, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the Department of State (DOS) released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) outlining significant regulatory changes to the federal au pair cultural exchange program. These...
Statement regarding proposed regulation for the federal Au Pair cultural exchange program
Washington, D.C. – October 31, 2023 – Yesterday, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register regarding the federal au pair cultural exchange program....
Statement regarding proposed reforms to the federal Au Pair cultural exchange program
Statement of the Alliance for International Exchange Regarding Proposed Reforms to the Federal Au Pair Cultural Exchange Program Washington, D.C. – February 23, 2023 – On behalf of our members designated by the U.S. Department of State to administer the federal au...
Au Pairs are Essential During Pandemic and Beyond
As published in Medium on September 14, 2020. Families are managing challenges with their children going back to school in a world that certainly looks different than it did last September. Many school districts have returned to classes virtually and parents continue...