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My 16 year old daughter is an exchange student in France. Her study abroad is through affiliation with a well known international student exchange program, thus they are the original sponsors for her long term student visa (she started there in September of last year).
Unfortunately, my daughter made a poor decision over the weekend to drink alcohol with some of her fellow exchange students. Some of the kids drank quite excessively and though my daughter did get drunk, she did not engage in any of the disruptive behavior that resulted in their being caught drinking. This was a first time offense that naturally I take very seriously. That said, given that she is a teen-ager and this behavior, though irresponsible, seems to some extent to be expected, I am shocked by the severity of the consequences.. Let me stress that I am not excusing her bad choice, I simply don't feel that expulsion from the program is a reasonable consequence for a good kid who gets good grades and who has not had prior issues in the program, getting drunk. (For the record the legal drinking age in France is 16).
So, given that she is now facing the likelihood of being "sent home" early, I am looking for possible ways for her to remain in France and complete the school year (coming home at this point would mean she misses a semester of high school in the US, thus she will be unable to graduate on time).
According to the program, "If a participant returns home early, the hosting AFS partner is mandated to notify the immigration authorities that the exchange program has been terminated." What does that mean in the big picture?
Her school in France is a public school with a boarding program that has offered to let her stay there. Alternatively her host family has offered to let her stay independently. My question is this:
Does the fact that her participation in the exchange program may be terminated necessarily mean that her visa also gets terminated? or might it be possible to 1. change sponsors? We can show evidence of housing, financial support and insurance for the remainder of her stay. 2. Could she leave France and return as a Traveller for the remainder of the school year (8 weeks) - is she required to have a student visa to stay in a boarding school? Basically- do we have any viable options at all here?
Thank you for any help or suggestions you can offer!
LM
Unfortunately, my daughter made a poor decision over the weekend to drink alcohol with some of her fellow exchange students. Some of the kids drank quite excessively and though my daughter did get drunk, she did not engage in any of the disruptive behavior that resulted in their being caught drinking. This was a first time offense that naturally I take very seriously. That said, given that she is a teen-ager and this behavior, though irresponsible, seems to some extent to be expected, I am shocked by the severity of the consequences.. Let me stress that I am not excusing her bad choice, I simply don't feel that expulsion from the program is a reasonable consequence for a good kid who gets good grades and who has not had prior issues in the program, getting drunk. (For the record the legal drinking age in France is 16).
So, given that she is now facing the likelihood of being "sent home" early, I am looking for possible ways for her to remain in France and complete the school year (coming home at this point would mean she misses a semester of high school in the US, thus she will be unable to graduate on time).
According to the program, "If a participant returns home early, the hosting AFS partner is mandated to notify the immigration authorities that the exchange program has been terminated." What does that mean in the big picture?
Her school in France is a public school with a boarding program that has offered to let her stay there. Alternatively her host family has offered to let her stay independently. My question is this:
Does the fact that her participation in the exchange program may be terminated necessarily mean that her visa also gets terminated? or might it be possible to 1. change sponsors? We can show evidence of housing, financial support and insurance for the remainder of her stay. 2. Could she leave France and return as a Traveller for the remainder of the school year (8 weeks) - is she required to have a student visa to stay in a boarding school? Basically- do we have any viable options at all here?
Thank you for any help or suggestions you can offer!
LM
