Frequently Asked Questions:

When will an au pair receive her flight information?

Tickets are issued four weeks prior to the au pair’s departure date. If the au pair has an electronic ticket, we will mail the itinerary and record locator number to her. If she has a paper ticket, we will send the ticket to her via UPS 2-day service. Specific time frames are listed in the “AP Departure Dates” section of this website.

When will an au pair receive her completion bonus?

Completion bonus checks are issued two weeks prior to the au pair’s year-end date. Please note, the au pair’s year-end date is not her departure date. It is the end of her 12-month program year. For example, if she arrived on June 10, 2002, her program year ends on June 9, 2003. Specific time frames are listed in the “AP Departure Dates” section of this website.

A South African or Namibian au pair returns home in one week. Why hasn’t she received her completion bonus?

Au pairs who are flying in and out of South Africa pay a program fee that covers a roundtrip flight between Johannesburg and New York. South African and Namibian au pairs no longer pay a good faith deposit before arriving in the U.S., and therefore will not receive a completion bonus at the end of their year. There are gateway surcharges for other U.S. departure cities and for Capetown and Durban arrival.

An au pair believes that she was never informed that there would be a gateway surcharge on her flight home. When are they given this information?

Au pairs are informed of the flight surcharges prior to joining the program. The flight surcharge information is available here and is referenced in the au pair application booklet, in the "Placement Pack" and in “Guidelines for a Successful Year.” Au pairs must sign a statement of acknowledgement confirming that they have received and understood all of this information. This statement is retained in the London office.

An au pair has decided to stay in the U.S. and apply for a change of visa status. When will she receive her completion bonus?

In order to receive her completion bonus, the au pair must submit proof of her new visa status. She must submit this documentation to Evelyn Blum, and her bonus will then be released. This will take approximately 3 weeks.

An au pair has health insurance coverage from her own country. If she is staying in the U.S. for her travel month, does she still need to purchase travel month insurance through Au Pair in America?

No, however, she must send proof of her insurance coverage to the Au Pair Services Coordinator when she submits her flight request information. We cannot issue tickets for au pairs who plan to stay in the U.S. for their travel month unless they pay the $85 for insurance or provide proof that they are covered under another plan.

Note: If the au pair selects the first available departure date, she does not need to purchase travel month insurance, even if it is a few days into her travel month.

An au pair is purchasing her own ticket home. When will she receive her completion bonus?

The au pair must send a copy of her boarding pass to the London office, and they will issue a check to the au pair in her own currency.

What are some of the reasons that a completion bonus would be blocked?

• Au pair’s flight request forms have not been submitted
  
• Au pair owes flight surcharge
  
• Au pair is staying in the U.S. for her travel month but has not purchased insurance coverage
  
• Educational requirements have not been filled or counselor has not yet submitted proof
  
• Bonus has been applied to gateway surcharge
  
• Early departure waiver form is missing

An au pair called the airline to confirm her reservation, but they said her ticket was not activated. What should she do?

The Travel Department does not activate the au pair’s ticket until two days before her departure date. This is to avoid having valid tickets available to au pairs who may have left the program unauthorized. The au pair should confirm her reservation with the airline but not until two days prior to her departure date.

My au pair already submitted her flight request and now wants to change her departure date. What does she need to do?

If the ticket has not yet been issued, your au pair can change her departure date. She needs to send a letter to the Au Pair Services Coordinator requesting a new departure date and include a money order in the amount of $100 to pay for the change fee.

If the ticket has already been issued, we do not allow changes unless it is an emergency. This would be a special situation, and the au pair would need to contact the Au Pair Services Coordinator to discuss. If allowed, the au pair would be responsible for the change fee plus any airlines fees.

How much luggage is my au pair allowed to bring on her flight home?

The average allowance is two bags weighing no more than 70 pounds each; however, each airline has their own policy. Au pairs are responsible for contacting their airline to obtain accurate information regarding luggage allowance. If their bags exceed the limit, they are responsible for additional fees charged by the airline at check-in. Au pairs receive this information on the Flight Information sheet they receive with their tickets