Would you employ this person as an au-pair?

[Mung]

I was just chatting on MSN with a very dear Argentine friend who I met 9 years ago whilst travelling out there. She welcomed me into her home and I stayed with her for a while. We have had sporadic contact ever since.

Anyway, she was just telling me how her 18 year old daughter is looking into au-pair agencies for jobs in the UK or USA, although she would prefer the UK. I had already offered for her and her siblings to stay here whenever they want, although a year would have been a little too long to have a 'house guest'.

I will hopefully have a job soon for 2 days a week and I just thought that this could be my solution. I know nothing about au-pairs (except for being one myself for 4 months and hating every minute of it) and how it all works, but I can't decide whether it is a good idea to get into a relationship like that with someone you vaguely know.

Any thoughts, ideas, anecdotes would be great...

If she wants to come for up to a year she will need a work visa, but she is very unlilkely to get one because Argentina not part of the recognised 'au-pair' scheme countries. So you have a big logistical problem. In theory she can come on a working holiday-type visa but you will have to look into this on the immigration websites as I think she then can only work for a short period of time...

I wouldn't plan to use an inexperienced AP to look after a child whilst going out to work for a full day (unless AP is exceptional girl) - they are not supposed to be used for sole charge care. Most people use them to help round the house, and often to do morning drop-offs or entertain the kids between end of school and when the parents get home from work - ie an hour or two of sole care at the most.

Nationals of Argentina are not able to come to the UK under the Working Holidaymaker scheme either. UKVisas.gov.uk - useful site for checking visa requirements. So looks like this is a non-starter. Could perhaps get a Work Permit, but that then starts getting complicated, needing a sponsor.