Au Pair International

The program is open to both men and women, ages 18 to 26 in Australia, with at least secondary school degrees, from around the world.

An Au Pair is a young person from another country, proficient in English, who has signed up with a cultural exchange program to both live with and provide child care for an Australian family. Because it’s a formal program, you have a lot less leeway to set hours and rules than you do with a regular nanny.

The best reason to hire an Au pair is that it’s inexpensive. You pay a set amount, regardless how many children you have. You also pay various fees, but even after counting for them, the cost works out to about $7 per hour.

If you like the idea of an energetic, educated young person living with you for a limited time at a low pay rate, this option of the International Au pair program might be for you. However, a common mistake made by host families is thinking they’re getting a nanny who’ll want just a few extracurricular activities on the side.

Get ready for a new personal relationship

“Having someone living in your home takes some getting used to, but it often creates a relationship for life. We have one host mother who, after her kids had grown up, took a trip in which she visited all her previous au pairs!

Who gets what in this cultural Exchange

The basic idea of the Au Pair program is that, in return for receiving up to 45 hours a week of child care, you pay a modest wage – more like a stipend, really – and help the au pair learn English and have an Australian Cultural experience. An Au pair is kind of an employee, kind of a family member, kind of an exchange student, kind of a big sister, and kindof a babysitter. It’s a conglomeration of roles, with the result that it’s great if it works out- but it doesn’t always work out.”

Although the concept is fairly simple, the au pair program is highly structured in the USA by the U.S immigration laws and administered by the U.S State department. An Au pair can travel with a working holiday visa to Australia, like every visa, it has rules and time limits and can be taken away if these aren’t met.

Fortunately, you don’t have to get tied up with the visa, background checks, or associated administrative hassles – our agency will take care of all this for you.