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for Host Families

Open your home to the world

Become a host family and welcome an international student into your home.

You'll experience true cultural exchange, make lifelong connections and represent your community to the world.

Join now
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The Homestay program

Few experiences can spark interest in the world like opening up your home and becoming a host family for an international student. Being a host family with EF is a unique, rewarding, fun and educational experience for all members of the family and an opportunity to create long-lasting relationships. Our EF host families enjoy the chance to meet new international friends, and appreciate a great way of sharing and learning differences in languages and cultures.

With EF you can become a host family and welcome an international student into your home. You will experience a true cultural exchange, represent and demonstrate your community to the world. As a host family you become a vital part of our students’ time abroad and their experiences. Our host families become the student's home away from home, while providing a safe and comfortable environment for our students.

By becoming one of our host families you give our students a chance to experience maximum cultural immersion by living as locals – with locals. As a host family you give them the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into your local culture, pick up expressions with much greater ease and return home with a more authentic accent.

Become a host family for international students today and be part of this great cultural exchange. EF is looking for host families throughout North America and Canada. Join our host families today and offer our students a profound experience that can change their view of the world – and might change yours too.

On this site you can learn everything you need to know about becoming a host family with EF. You can browse through all our destinations in North America and Canada

Become a host family with EF today. Contact us now to learn more!

Hosting foreign students with EF

EF students travel abroad for a full immersion experience, and by hosting foreign students with EF you become an essential part of our unique programs. Host international students with EF and be the host family students dream of by offering a warm and secure way for students to immerse themselves in the daily life in their new country.

By hosting foreign students you can enrich their understanding of local culture and customs, and help your host student pick up expressions and slang with greater ease, as well as acquiring a more authentic accent. Most importantly: host students develop meaningful relationships with their families that often last far beyond the duration of their language course, and our families regularly return to host foreign students again. Hosting foreign students is a great way to experience cultural exchange and welcome an international host student into your home. It is also a way of developing lifelong connections, as well as representing your community to the world. Take the opportunity and try hosting students with EF today!

Hosting students & finding the perfect match

We want every host student and every family hosting foreign students to be fully satisfied with their homestay arrangement. Our Accommodation Manager will keep in close contact with you regarding availability of students, and we’ll do our best to accommodate any special requests. Hosting students can be a new experience to many families and our accommodation team is always ready to support you.

Hosting students & your responsibilities

We ask that our families hosting students with us provide each student with:

  • A warm friendly welcome.
  • A clean, comfortable well lit room, with sufficient heating, ventilation, natural light, storage for clothes and use of a table or desk.
  • Bed linen and towels
  • Regular access to the bathroom as per a member of your family.
  • A key or access to your home at anytime.
  • Assistance to find his/her way to school on their first day.

Staff support, 24 hours a day

EF staff will be with you every step of the way when hosting students: guiding you through your student’s transition to their new country; introducing you to other families in your community; and listening to your feedback & ideas for future hosting experiences.

You can be absolutely certain that when you host international students with EF, our staff is always available for you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Host international students & the screening process

Making sure our students are welcomed into a safe and welcoming environment is absolutely vital to the success of our programs. Families wishing to host international students are carefully screened and interviewed in their homes by our experienced accommodation staff and then regularly visited and monitored to ensure high standards.

Gain a unique experience and contribute to a student’s journey of a lifetime by hosting foreign students with EF. Contact us today!

Over 50 years of satisfied host families

Throughout our long experience organizing homestays, we’ve heard from a countless number of host families who rave about the program. Many of them continue to host students with us - some for years on end. We couldn’t be more proud of the families we’ve partnered with over the years. Watch our videos to meet a few of them and see what they have to say about the program.

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Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas - Dead Brains
Barbatuques - CD Tum Pá - Sambalelê

100 nationalities - and counting

Bringing the world together is part of our mission. At any given time of year, you can find up to 100 different nationalities at our International Language Centers.

Our diverse student body means that you'll truly have a global experience when you host an EF student.

But don't take our word for it, see what real EF students have to say about the program

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas - Dead Brains
Barbatuques - CD Tum Pá - Sambalelê
Eleanor Turner plays Baroque Flamenco
Sleepy Man Banjo Boys: Bluegrass

Frequently asked questions

Hosting an international student is a big decision, and we're here to help.
Browse our frequently asked questions, and if you’re not fully satisfied simply contact your local EF office.

What are my responsibilities as a host family?

Families must provide a bed, breakfast, and an evening meal & have easy access to local transportation to and from the students’ EF school and a stable, caring environment. Host parents must submit an application, references, and are subject to a home visit by one of our experienced staff. Students bring their own spending money for personal needs, souvenirs, entertainment, and other incidentals.

I am not a "traditional" family, is it still possible to host?

Of course! We welcome all those who wish to host international students, regardless of the setup of the household.

May I host more than one student at a time?

Yes, you may host up to four students. Some families like to host more than one student, as it gives the students a companion. It also gives your family the chance to learn more about another culture.

What if there is a problem with our student?

Your local accommodation team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, should you have any questions or concerns. Our students must comply with all program rules and our staff will ensure they follow these while with your family.

In case of an accident or illness, who do we contact?

Help is only a phone call away--EF staff is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will be detailed by your local office prior to the summer season commencing.

Where will our international student study?

EF students attend classes at a EF School in, or close to, your community. Courses include daily English and cultural lessons combined with a full activities program that students take part in every day. They also have evening activities and excursions on the weekend.

     
               

Our locations

         

EF BOSTON

200 LAKE STREET
BOSTON, MA 02135
USA
+1-617-746-1700

       

EF EXECUTIVE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

1 EDUCATION STREET
CAMBRIDGE, MA 02141
USA
+1-617-619-1237

       

EF NEW YORK

100 MARYMOUNT AVENUE
TARRYTOWN, NY 10591
USA
+1 914 597 7100

       

EF SANTA BARBARA

1421 CHAPALA ST
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101
USA
+1 805 962 8680

EF EVERGREEN STATE

COLLEGE (SEATTLE)
2700 EVERGREEN PKWY NW,
SEMINAR I, ROOM 4154
OLYMPIA, WA 98505
USA
+1 360 867 6422

     

EF SEATTLE

2700 EVERGREEN PARKWAY NW
SEM 1, ROOM 4154
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON 98505
USA
+1 360 867 6422

       

EF SAN FRANCISCO

2748 HYDE STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109
USA
+1 415 409 0800

     

EF SAN DIEGO

3455 KENYON STREET
SAN DIEGO, CA 92110
USA
+1 858 689 9700

     

EF CHICAGO

122 S. MICHIGAN AVE, SUITE 1650
CHICAGO, IL 60603
USA
+1 312 662 1510

       

EF HONOLULU

1833 KALAKAUA AVENUE, 7th FLOOR
HONOLULU, HI 96815
USA
+1 808 923 1515

     

EF WASHINGTON DC

6896 LAUREL ST N.W.
WASHINGTON DC 20012
+1 (202)765-0950

       

EF TORONTO

127 PORTLAND ST
TORONTO, ONTARIO M5V 2N4
CANADA

       

EF VANCOUVER

750 CAMBIE STREET
SUITE 200
VANCOUVER, BC V6B 2P2
CANADA
 +1 604 633-0505

     

EF VANCOUVER ISLAND

1952 BLANSHARD STREET,
VICTORIA, BC V8T 4J3,
CANADA
+1 250 999 7790

 

EF CENTER BOSTON

TWO EDUCATION CIRCLE,
CAMBRIDGE, MA 02141,
CANADA
+1 800 521 0083

 

EF INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE CAMPUS

1421 CHAPALA ST,
SANTA BARBARA, CA 93101,
CANADA
+1 805 962 8680

           

Become a host family and welcome an international student into your home. You'll experience true cultural exchange, make lifelong connections and represent your community to the world. That is why so many of our host families return year after year to host students again.

                      

Join the EF Host Family Program. Contact us now!

     

About EF

In 1965, Bertil Hult, EF's founder, was determined to develop a method of teaching English through discovery and activity - action learning. He took a small group of Swedish junior-high students to the South Coast of England to live the language - encouraging them to use their classroom language skills in real-life situations, and acquire authentic accents through contact with native-speakers their own age.

EF Language Travel was born. EF's innovative concept of action learning spread quickly. By 2015, EF offers language programs in 54 countries on nearly every continent and is now the world’s leading educational travel provider; offering students the opportunity to experience a new culture abroad, improving their language skills and participating in a full activity program.

Living the language

Full cultural and linguistic immersion is at the core of what we do. By living in a homestay accommodation, interacting with local people and studying a personalized course, EF students don’t just learn a language, they live it.

Join now