Host Families and Exchange Students on a J-1 Visa

Sponsoring exchange students is an exciting way to open your school to students from around the world. As a sponsor, schools are responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations of the program, which includes screening potential host families. The U.S. State Department has resources listed on its website. Some required elements of screening a host family are:

• Providing potential host families with details about their duties and obligations
• Requesting detailed information about the host family, including references that can verify the host family’s character
• Conducting in-person interviews with those living in the home
• Verifying that anyone who is 18 and older living in the home has undergone a criminal background check
• Home inspection to check environment and to make sure it is a safe place