Making the decision to be a host family and provide
accommodation for an international student means that you
are opening your home to a new family member and you will
provide a caring, nurturing environment. You and your family
will benefit from a cultural exchange and relationships that
can last a lifetime.
The experience is enriching and rewarding for both students
and hosts alike. Students benefit immeasurably from
conversing in English in a relaxed, natural situation, such as
after school or over dinner. As hosts you can rest assured
that students are selected with great care and are expected
to abide by your own customs and have reasonable
expectations. You will also receive payment on a regular
basis for hosting an international student.
You, your kids and your community can learn so much from
this experience. It may also help your family with an extra
income and no fees are charged to register on our website.
We are looking for Host Families in Auckland, Hamilton,
Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
In Australia we are looking for Homestay Families in
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
It can be quite a culture shock arriving in a new family and not knowing what to expect. The food, weather and people are all very different and the local accent can be hard to understand! The best thing about staying with a local family is that it is a great way to get used to this new culture and experience local life and most importantly, it helps you improve your English language skills.
All families who offer Homestay accommodation have been approved as Homestay providers. police checked, and passed on our rigorous selection process, also inspected and visit every 3 months by our Homestay Coordinator. Each family is interviewed and their accommodation is inspected to ensure international students are provided with a safe and caring environment where they can learn about and experience the country culture.
Australian and New Zealanders families may be different from the family you have been used to in your home country. Both countries are a modern, multicultural society and your host parents may be from any ethnic background. But they are still Australians and Kiwis!
At this side of the world, people who care for each other and live together in one house may be considered to be a family, so an Australian and New Zealander family may be:
• A couple with no children
• A single person
• A couple with children
• A single person with children
• An older couple whose family has grown and moved away
What you should expect living with a Host Family
Every home stay experience is just as different as the families who host. Regardless of if you're living with a family with three young toddlers in Auckland, or a single mom and her daughter in Brisbane, there are a few things you can expect from just about every home stay experience. While living with a host family, you should expect:
1. Your family may or may not have hosted other students before.
2. Your family has been thoroughly evaluated and interviewed. Carefully inspected and instructed about Homestay services and rules.
3. To eat the same food that the rest of the family is eating.
4. To be respectful of their house rules.
5. To learn the language much faster
• To be cuddled
• To have a live-in maid
• To treat your house like a hotel
• To come and go as you please without being respectful of your host parents
• To have your friends come and stay with you
• To have food made to you specially, to please your taste and preferences