• Be at least 25 years of age and a US citizen.
• Ensure that everyone 17 or older living in the home can pass a criminal background check.
• Have a willingness to provide interim housing for students (Spare room or shared room with an extra bed required).

There is no typical IEC! Our IECs live all across the country and come from many different backgrounds—stay-at-home parents, business owners, professors, newlyweds, empty nesters and more! Some have children, others don’t. Some work with their spouses or significant others, others do the role on their own.

IECs are encouraged to recruit EF host families throughout the year. In the late summer and early fall, the main focus shifts to supervisory responsibilities, like conducting orientations and getting to know exchange students and host families. Throughout the school year, monthly contact with EF exchange students ensures our program participants are well supported and making the most of their experience.

We ask our IECs to commit to placing exchange students throughout the year. Some of our IECs place one EF exchange student in their free time, while others place upwards of 20 EF exchange students. It all depends on your availability and personal goals!

IECs are compensated for each exchange student they match with a family and for supervising all their students during the year. In addition to the financial compensation, IECs earn travel rewards and other benefits.

EF provides training to IECs as required by the US Department of State Regulations. Additionally, EF is proud to offer industry-leading development programs to any interested IECs. New IEC preparation is delivered online and in person, hosted by EF staff in Boston, Regional Coordinators in your area, and the U.S. Department of State. IECs have opportunities to receive additional professional development opportunities at regional meetings where they meet with other local IECs, at the yearly national meeting for qualified IECs, and through our extensive library of preparation materials that is available free of charge to active IECs

IECs are not required to host a student full time, though many do and find that it deepens their relationships with their EF exchange students and EF host families, as they are able to live the experience firsthand.