Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 16 years 0 months and 17 years 5 months old at the start of the program
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
Program Description
As with all AFS high school programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family while attending a local host school. Learn more about life in Chile.
Students are placed throughout Chile. Most placements (approx. 75%) are in urban areas. 20% are classified as suburban placements and the remaining 5% are rural.
Most students are placed in private schools. These schools waive their tuition for AFS participants. However, uniforms are required and students are responsible for this cost (about $175).
If your program departs in the Fall, you will be arriving in Chile during the middle of their school year. You will be enrolled in the second semester of the year. Then, after a summer break in January and February, you will begin the first semester of the next grade level along with your previous classmates.
Due to the high level of meat consumption in Chile, applicants who require a vegetarian diet will be difficult to place and may not be accepted.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Visa and Travel Documents
In order to participate in this program, you must have a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay.
In addition to your passport, you also need a student visa to enter and reside in your host country.
The visa application process for Chile is detailed, time-consuming, and costly. It involves collecting a number of documents including a police background check, the results of an HIV test, and a FBI background check. Additionally, you will need a parental consent form which has been legalized with an apostille.
Some consulates (currently Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.) require an in-person appointment in order to apply. Be prepared to travel to your regional consulate if necessary.
The current visa processing fee is $131, not including the cost of obtaining, translating, notarizing, and mailing the required documents, nor the cost of traveling to the consulate. Please note that these fees and requirements are determined by the consulates and are subject to change.
AFS USA will provide you with detailed visa application instructions in the months prior to your departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between Miami and Santiago, the capital city of Chile. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and taken to the arrival orientation site in the outskirts of Santiago.
After the orientation, you and the other students placed in your region will travel together by bus (or by plane if you are hosted in the far north or south) to your host community where you will be met by your host family.
AFS Orientations and Activities
In addition to the orientations that you will participate in domestically (the local Pre-Departure Orientation, Culture Trek, and the Gateway Orientation), you and your fellow AFSers will have several orientations while abroad.
The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Santiago. This will be a 1-2 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. This will be an international orientation and your opportunity to meet participants from around the world.
After about a month, you will have another orientation, organized at the regional level. This will last for 2-3 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first few weeks and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
If you are participating in a year program, you will also be offered a 1-2 day mid-stay orientation about 5 months in to your stay. Once again, this will be a time to meet with staff and volunteers, evaluate the first half of your experience, and gain more tips to aid your cultural adjustment.
Finally, there is a final evaluation camp (end-of-stay orientation) approximately 4 weeks prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
In addition to the orientations, many local chapters organize activities for students and host families throughout the year. These will vary from chapter to chapter but may include parties or excursions to other cities or regions in Chile. Unlike the orientations, these activities are optional and are at the students’ expense.
