AFS-USA travel guidelines are designed to maintain the integrity of AFS Programs and to help participants adapt fully to their lives as exchange students in the U.S. AFS Participants have obligations to their host families, communities, and schools. In addition, AFS is responsible for participants; AFS must know a participant's whereabouts in the event of an emergency. So that participant and family travel is managed within the context of these factors, AFS-USA has established appropriate guidelines and procedures.
Unauthorized participant travel away from the host family or host community is strictly prohibited and can result in Program Termination - Early Return.
Guidelines for all types of travel: MINIMUM CRITERIA
Any on-program travel MUST meet all of these criteria, at minimum.
Note: This is inclusive of all program durations (Year Program/Semester) and program content (SC/CB/YS/FX):
- Host family must first approve travel plans. Travel must not interfere with host family plans to pursue activities with a participant, especially holiday plans.
- The local team must be in support of travel. Participant must not be experiencing adaptation problems. NOTE: if liaison/support coordinator is not the facilitator of travel requests on team, please be sure to include them on the request to allow insight into student adjustment and clearance for team approval.
- Travel must not interfere with attendance at mandatory AFS events.
- If the student will miss school, school approval must be obtained, and a plan must be in place to make up schoolwork. Participants should never miss more than 5 days of school at a time.
- Travel is encouraged to be kept to under 7 days, but it should not exceed more than 10 days. Any other special request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Host family must comply with the AFS policy on sleeping accommodations while travelling.
- Travel must not violate standard AFS safety guidelines.
- Travel must be in accordance with first- and last-week-of-program travel constraints, detailed below.
Additional Requirements
Travel waivers are need for any independent travel and parental permission forms are needed for any international trips. For these two types of travel, a trip must meet the minimum criteria listed above and these additional criteria:
Note: This is inclusive of all program durations (Year Program/Semester) and program content (SC/CB/YS/FX):
- AFS-USA staff must be aware of and approve of travel plans.
- We strongly reiterate that all travel requiring a waiver must be submitted to AFS-USA at least 4 weeks in advance of needing to book the trip. A request can still be submitted under this requested timeframe, and we will try to process it, however there is no guarantee they will be cleared for travel in time.
- Respective partner office must approve of travel and obtain a signed travel waiver from the participants sending family; this will be facilitated by respective AFS travel staff or Sponsored Program staff upon approval of the trip when the request is made and information is collected. International trips also require the student to receive a DS2019 endorsement.
NOTE ABOUT TRAVEL DURING FIRST AND LAST WEEK ON PROGRAM
Travel in the first week on the program is discouraged, but since domestic travel with host family is AFS-Sanctioned travel, we will also permit international trip opportunities with families is requested if all minimum guidelines are met as a domestic trip with host family would be. However, sending parent/guardian permission would be needed along with a DS2019 endorsement, of which the latter cannot be completed until the student arrives on program. Note: Since YES, FLEX, & CBYX DS2019 endorsements are not done by AFS-USA and often take a few weeks for turnaround, we cannot guarantee or predict it would be possible for them to travel internationally in their first week. In addition, Host Families MUST be prepared for and in agreement with potential arrival delays, and AFS-USA is not responsible for any reimbursements for trips with participants planned upon arrival that may be affected by those delays.
No on-program travel of any type is allowed within the final 7 days of a student's scheduled departure date. If a student wishes to take any type of travel in their last week, they can request a program release to do so before May 1st of the departure year.
For a helpful resource in determining if a waiver is required, please review the article:
AFS-Sanctioned Travel vs Travel Waiver Required
For a helpful resource in requesting an Independent Travel Waiver, please review the article:
Independent Travel Waiver Request - Procedures
For a helpful resource in requesting a Parental Permission Form, please review the article:
International Travel While Student is on Program- Procedures