Au Pair from the US - need VISA advice

[ducdo]

Morning mumsnet
I'm searching for our next au pair and spoken with a lovely girl in the US who we may like to offer. However I've googled how the visa works and reading conflicting advice - some sites saying someone from US can't come to the UK and others saying yes.
Can anyone help give any guidance please? Many thanks.

No aupair visa these days. So what type of visa would they need?

Youth mobility scheme visa does not include US nationals.

Non starter in my view. Though do have a look at UKBA info.
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

You can't get a visa for an Au Pair from the US. It will be very hard for her to get any kind of working visa.

Thanks both - so how can she travel to the UK then??? Can she just come as a 'visitor'?
I've been using Au Pair World website and there's lots of American girls on there so there must be a way of girls coming over for say a 6/12 month period and working as an au pair?

She can travel on a student VISA, but then her working hours are limited to 10-20 a week (depending on the type of course she signed up for, she would have to be doing (and paying for) a high level course in order to work 20 hours a week).

Other EU countries have au pair VISAs so it makes it easier for the Americans to travel there to be an au pair.

Its not possible. If you want an English speaker, Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians can come on a Tier 5 VISA for up to 2 years.

this is so disappointing, there must be a way around it ...
how about this option...?
www.gov.uk/domestic-workers-in-a-private-household-visa

although says you have to be working with employer for 1 year. whilst she may stay for 1 yr, she hasn't worked for us yet.

this is a minefield?!?! really appreciate your help ...

Domestic workers visa is for live in staff who have worked for you in the country they come from. That will not work for you.

Drop the American idea, go for Canadian instead.

Thanks everyone, a real shame but clearly not possible

No, not possible

I think a lot of the Americans on these sites either have dual nationality (so they don't need a visa) or come as "visitors" in breach of the immigration rules

I have told many a US aupair that her visa would be very difficult to arrange, which is a shame because they can sound very good on paper.

I only ever bother with aupairs from the EU because I don't have time to faff around with visas as it can be quite hit-and-miss whether they work out.

A friend employed a U.S. au pair who was deported without warning after a couple of months for working illegally. There really is no way round it, you can't have a U.S. au pair unless they have dual EU nationality.

Printscreen, how horrible. Did the authorities also investigate your friend for hiring an illegal?