To help streamline the liaison linking process, AFS-USA has developed a new optional process for Area Teams. This change will go into effect Tuesday, May 25.

When a placement has been identified for a hosted participant and a Placed Without Papers (PWP) request is entered in Global Link, AFS-USA volunteers can now optionally link the participant’s liaison (if this information is known at the time of placement).  

Please Note: This change will only work when you enter a placement for a student already linked to your Team. If you enter a placement request for a student not currently linked to your Team, you will not be able to enter the Liaison information until the pending placement request has been accepted.  

When the PWP  request is submitted, a pop-up will ask “Do you have a liaison identified?” If you would like to link a liaison, select “YES – I would like to identify the liaison now”. If not, select “NO – I will identify a liaison at a later date”. 

If you select YES, you will be automatically taken to the MyAFS Liaison Assignment Widget where you can select the participant’s liaison. (Guidance on how to assign a liaison can be found here). 

If the participant’s liaison changes at a later date, the liaison can always be updated in the MyAFS Liaison Assignments Widget. 

As part of this change, Pending placement requests  are also now visible in your Area Team’s Liaison Assignments Widget. 

AFS-USA hopes these changes will make the liaison linking process easier for Area Teams!