Guardianship of International Students 

In 2015, about one million international students studied in the United States, and a sizeable portion of these students were under the age of 18. In the United States and in many other countries around the globe, the age of majority, or the age which an individual is legally considered to be an adult, is 18. Therefore, anyone below this transformative age is still officially an adolescent and requires legal guardianship. When adolescent international students leave their homes to study abroad in America, their parents will assign a legal guardian to protect the child and assist the student with academic, medical, or other problems. This article will explore who usually provides international students with guardianship and will also explain the requirements and responsibilities of these trusted legal guardians.

Who Usually Provides Legal Guardianship?

Host families of international students often presume that they are required to take on guardianship duties because the students are living in their home. However, contrary to this belief, host families can choose whether or not they want to provide guardianship. In fact, many homestay agencies including Ojisu will offer premier guardianship services as an option for families to ensure that students are well safeguarded while away from their parents and family. 

A legal guardian for an international student in the United States must be at least 25 years of age, fluent in English, live in the U.S., and must also be familiar with American conventions and the American educational system. In addition, to provide adequate care, legal guardianship requires that the appointed guardian be willing and able to take responsibility of the student when a problem arises. 

Responsibilities of Guardianship

Legal guardians, by taking on this responsibility, have numerous duties that they must fulfill in order to care for the international student and their life abroad. For instance, legal guardians should maintain connection with the student’s parents, school, and, when applicable, the host family. If the legal guardian is not the student’s host, they are obliged to assume responsibility for the student should the student by prematurely released from a homestay or dismissed by a school. Guardians also commit to help counsel the student with his or her academic, living, medical decisions and problems.