Visas & first time au pair experience

[BarbarianLaurie]

Hi, ive always had a nanny but youngest has started reception so thinking of au pair next year. Currently i pay our nanny rather much for rather little, but thats another story.

I think au pair is the most sensible way forward although i have a rather private personality. Also i think being in a london suburb (zone 6) and old cold period house where you have to drive to school isnt very attractive. I have space but not ensuite and would need to renovate a room, assuming an au pair wont want a bedroom near us. Finally while it will average 20 hours 'work' a week (they typically go to clubs and finish at 430-6pm) i often get home 8pm (DH is either around a lot or very little) so its a late finish.

My question is, how do youth mobility visas work (id want someone mid 20s ideally) if looking into au pair from further afield, US, Canada, South America, Auz/NZ, Asia...? And EU, if anybody would even apply from there? Do i have to do anything and at what stage? Thanks.

Also would you advertise pocket money amount as it will be attractive and use au pair world?

I got in touch with the only local agency and they didnt get back - they screen family applicants!

So you au pair should sort out her own visa. Depending on how long you want them for you may want to narrow your search to countries that participate in the youth mobility visa program (otherwise your au pair will need to qualify for a student visa which takes more effort really). I wouldn’t worry too much about where you live. We live outside of London (also in a cold period property) and need au pairs who drive etc and it’s not been an issue finding anyone.

There are no specific au pair visas at the moment, so your search is limited to EU, those who can get Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa - so Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Tiawansese, South Koreans.

You can also host those who have an ancestry Visa - which they can get if they are from a Commonwealth country and they have a grandparent born here - however, it's a long process and expensive this way.

You can't host anyone else - so no Americans, Brazillians (although they will try and convince you that it's possible) etc. It's not possible on a student visa either, they would have to be doing a degree level course to be able to work anything like a sensible number of hours.

When are you thinking of getting one from? Getting checks done etc takes time, so you want to start looking at least 3 months before you want them to start, more if you want a September start.

Thanks @Velveteenfruitbowl and underneath, super helpful

Im flexible on start so maybe summer might be easier and ideally over a year.

You hopefully will still be able to get APs from Europe after Brexit under this process -

www.gov.uk/guidance/european-temporary-leave-to-remain-in-the-uk

Just to also note that I have had a few Au Pairs from Au Pair World in the past who advertised themselves as South African or Australian, but did actually also have dual citizenship with the UK or an EU country (which made it easier/possible), so it's worth double checking with candidates.

You can browse the candidates on www.aupairworld.com for free and create your own profile - you just have to pay for membership (1, 3 or 6 months) once you want to start properly corresponding with them.