Hosting 2 foreign exchange students from the same country at the same time?

Question

i was wondering if it is possible to host 2 exchange stundents from the same country. some one told me it would not be possible. so now i don't know who says it is not possible.

is it the state department or is it the exchange organizations?

Answer 1

my friend had like 2-3 at one time. forget if they were from the same country.

Answer 2

Hi,

The State Department rule is as follows:

(Sponsors may not) Place more than one exchange student with a host family without the express prior written consent of the Department of State. Under no circumstance may more than two exchange students may be placed with one host family. (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/tex...

However, it's highly unlikely that an organization will place two students from the same country in the same home and, in fact, the most reputable organizations will NOT do it. I'm honestly not sure if the State Department would approve it or not.

There are some good reasons for this.

1. The students are here to learn a new language and a new culture. If they are together, you KNOW they will speak their native languages! The more they do that, the harder it will be for them to learn English.

2. Making friends with Americans (assuming you are from the U.S. here) will be much harder. They will want to pal around with each other because they are familiar and it's easier.

Hosting 2 students can be very rewarding ... but also very challenging. Quite frankly, I've been hosting for 13 years and would NOT recommend it unless they are from very distinctly different cultures -- European and Asian for example. And then I would think VERY carefully. If you've NEVER hosted before, I would definitely not do it.

Hosting is lots of fun. If you go at it in the right way, you'll have a great year and add a member to your family. But there are things to be aware of as well ... BEFORE you get into it. Here are a few:

1. Pick a reliable program. First, make sure it's on the CSIET list (www.csiet.org). Then ask the high school for recommendations. You can bet there are organizations they like working with and some they don't! Generally, AFS, Aspect, Rotary and YFU are reliable everywhere.

2. Remember YOU, as the potential host family, are in the driver's seat. Once you get some recommendations from the school, invite them for an interview. Pick the representative YOU feel will support you the best. Don't sign on the dotted line while they are there!

3. If they offer you a student BEFORE you have your background check and interview, this is a red flag! (Unless of course the representative is already familiar with you and your family - sometimes then they will have a student in mind for you. However, it is not a "done deal" until after the checks).

4. Make sure the representative lives no more than 120 miles from you -- less is better. In your own town is best.

For an interesting perspective on exchange students, I invite you to check out http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/ -- an online community of past and present exchange students.

Good luck and I hope you decide to host!