The Risk Management, Compliance & Quality Assurance (RMCQA) department is gearing up for the 2021-2022 cycle, in which AFS-USA will undergo a Department of State Management Review, otherwise known as an audit. AFS has previously been audited for the 2016-2017 and 2018-2019 cycles.

The Department of State audit is critical to AFS-USA maintaining our J-1 visa sponsorship status. While the audit covers numerous areas within the organization, one of the most critical is contacts and visits. For every student selected, we will need to provide all required contacts and visits. These records demonstrate not just our compliance with J-1 visa regulations, but the high quality of support we provide our participants.

To that end, RMCQA staff will be closely monitoring contacts and visits compliance and following up directly with Area Teams on missing requirements throughout the cycle. We look forward to working closely with our liaisons and Compliance/Support/Liaison Coordinators to achieve our goal of 100% compliance.

How can you start off the year strong? The 1=4 visit! Liaisons who did not conduct the in-home interview may visit their student and host family in their home within the month of arrival (August for 1st arrivals students) and that 1 visit will fulfill 4 requirements: the Student First In-Person, the 30/60 Day In-Home, and August Student and Host Family Monthly Contacts.