How to Become an Au Pair in the US

Meeting the Eligibility Requirements

Be 18-26 years old. You cannot become an au pair in the United States without going through an agency. However, you cannot join an agency if you don’t meet their basic eligibility requirements. To start, you must be 18-26 years old. Since you’ll be working with children, you cannot become an au pair in the United States if you have a criminal record. These requirements are determined by the US federal government and they’re the same for every au pair agency.

Speak conversational English fluently. You have to be fluent in conversational English to work as an au pair in the United States. If you don’t know English and you are sure that you want to pursue an au pair position in the future, sign up for language classes or hire a tutor to work on your English. You won’t need to take a test or anything, but an agency won’t hire you if you can’t handle conversations in English.

Have at least 200 hours of experience taking care of children. To join an au pair agency, you must have adequate experience working with children. This can include working as a nanny, as an au pair in another country, or as an employee at a day care facility. At least 200 hours must be documented through copies of schedules, references from previous employers, and payroll documents.Tip: This requirement may sound like a lot, but it’s really just 5 weeks of full-time work. If you don’t meet this requirement, apply for nanny or childcare positions near you to get the necessary experience.

Complete your country’s equivalent of secondary school. Regardless of what it’s called in your country, you must have a degree from your country’s version of high school. So long as you successfully completed your educational program, you can apply to become an au pair. In the United States, high school is completed from age 14-18. The vast majority of au pairs complete a year of post-secondary school at an American university while they’re spending their year abroad, but you don’t have to.

Picking an Agency

Research the 14 agencies that are approved by the US. There are only 14 government-approved au pair agencies in the United States, and you need to join one of them if you want to become an au pair. While they all have the same eligibility requirements, there are certain benefits to joining different agencies. Visit each agency’s website to find out what they offer, where they’re located, and what makes them stand out from other agencies.

Assess each agency’s benefits to determine if it’s right for you. Some of the agencies provide special services or specialize in particular areas. For example, USAuPair offers free health insurance for their au pairs, while other agencies don’t. GreatAuPair offers an extensive training program on customs and traditions in the US. PROaupair specifically places au pairs with educational or medical experience. Use each agency’s benefits to weigh your decision. While the specific work you do will depend on your host family’s needs, the type of work you complete will be the same regardless of your agency. The agency’s main job is to provide support for au pairs and help host families find good matches.

Select an agency based in a location or city where you want to live. US law dictates that your host family must live within 1 hour of your agency representative. This means that the agency you choose will largely limit your possibilities in terms of where you live. If this is unimportant to you, don’t take it into account when considering where to apply. If you want to live in a warm area, in a rural area, or near a major city, for example, look up where each agency is located to narrow your search down. Your agency representative is basically a counselor that will help you with documentation paperwork, answer your questions, and help you out should a conflict arise with your host family.

Pick an agency close to a university you want to attend. If you’re going to attend an American university, determine which schools are located near the agency. Some agencies also pair up with nearby schools to help au pairs take classes. If there’s a specific school you’re interested in attending, choose the agency closest to the school. A large percentage of US au pairs complete college courses during their year in the US.

Getting Accepted and Finding a Family

Apply to join an agency opening 6-12 months before you want to start. Your application needs to be processed, you need to be approved by the US Department of Immigration, and you need to be matched with a family. You also need to be trained on how to work as an au pair. All of this can take quite some time. While it’s possible to accomplish all of this in under 3 months, it’s likely to take at least 6 months. This process can move a little faster if you live in a country with a close relationship to the United States, like Poland, Ireland, or Japan.

Submit an application through the agency’s website. Once you pick the agency you want to work with, go to their website. Fill out the application form and include your personal information. Enter your nationality, educational experience, and upload a copy of your resume if needed. Most agencies will ask you to complete a short response to explain why you want to become an au pair, so be honest and compose a straightforward response. You typically need to pay $50-250 to apply for an agency in the US, but you’ll earn a weekly stipend if you end up accepting a position. If you’re qualified, it isn’t particularly hard to get an agency to work with you.

Complete your interview and screening with the agency. Wait a few days for the agency to contact you regarding your application. If they’re interested in working with you, they’ll ask you to complete an interview over video conferencing software and submit to a basic screening. Answer the interviewer’s questions and submit any documents for your screening. The screening process is basically an elaborate background check. The agencies are mainly looking for red flags that may cause problems with the immigration paperwork. This process is different for every agency. Generally speaking, they’re going to ask questions about why you want to become an au pair and what your experience with children is.

Create a profile with your agency representative. Once you’re accepted by an agency, create a profile on the agency’s website so that potential families can learn a little bit about you. Upload a professional photo where you’re smiling, write a short summary about where you’re from, and describe your work experience as it pertains to childcare. Include any optional information based on the agency profile’s format. A representative from the agency will help you with every step of this process once you’re accepted. The more information you can include, the better. You’ll be living with your host family for a year, so giving them a sense for what you’re like is a really important part of this process.

Interview with potential families to get to know them. Wait a few weeks for host families to inspect the agency’s available profiles. When a family is interested in hosting or talking to you, you will be notified by your agency. Connect with potential host families over the phone and talk to them to find out if you’re a good fit. Interview with as many host families as possible to ensure that you make the best choice. Ask families questions like “What is a regular day like in your home,” “What will my schedule look like,” and “What do the children enjoy doing for fun?” This will give you a sense of what the experience will be like with a certain family. Be prepared to answer questions about your hobbies, interests, and goals for the future. You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you! The arrangement should be beneficial for both you and the host family.

Pick a family to work with after several families express interest. If you like the host family and the host family likes you, let the agency know. The arrangement will become official and your profile will be taken down so you can begin preparing to leave. Select your family based on how nice they seem, how well the work suits your wishes, or where they live. Some families will have multiple children and require a lot of hard work. Other families will basically use you as an on-call babysitter and give you a ton of free time. It really depends on what each family’s needs are. Some agencies won’t give you a choice and they’ll simply place you somewhere.Tip: How picky you are should boil down to how many options you have. If you only have 1 interested family, you really don’t have a choice in who you work for and live with. If 10 families are interested in you, you have more freedom.

Applying for a J-1 Visa

Pay the fees for your J-1 Visa application. The J-1 is a type of US visa reserved for exchange visitors. It is used for foreign exchange students, au pairs, and researchers from other countries. The cost of the J-1 application is $160, but your agency will likely include a fee on top of this since they’re going to complete the vast majority of the application for you. Pay the agency the visa fee to begin your application to enter the US. Depending on the agency, the fee for your J-1 visa application will be $200-1,000. While the US visa process can be quite complex, rest assured that your agency is going to do all of the complicated paperwork for you.

Give the agency the required paperwork so they can submit your application. Your agency is going to ask for a variety of supporting documents. Provide your agency with copies of any documents that they request. They may ask for references from previous employers, copies of your bank statements, or additional proof of identity. Allow the agency to complete and submit your J-1 application for you. Your agency will give you a copy of the application, including all of the supporting documents and pre-approval paperwork. Bring this bundle of documents with you to your interview.

Contact the US embassy in your country and schedule an interview. Your agency will let you know once your application is processed. Once it has been processed and reviewed, call or visit the United States embassy in your country to schedule a J-1 interview. The embassy will tell you the earliest date that they can host the interview. It can take anywhere from 1 week to a few months to get your interview scheduled. It completely depends on busy the embassy is in your country.

Complete your interview and provide additional documentation as needed. Take your passport, a copy of your state ID, and a copy of your au pair agency forms with you to your interview. Dress professionally and show up on time. Sit down with your interviewer at the embassy and answer their questions honestly. If you pass your interview, your J-1 visa will be approved immediately.Tip: The questions you’ll be asked depends entirely on where you live and what your background is. Expect to talk about your family, why you want to come to the United States, what you plan on doing after your visa expires, and what your political beliefs are. For example, you may be asked, “Why do you want to come to the US?” Your answer may be, “I’ve been interested in American culture ever since I was a child and want to experience life there. I also want to improve my English skills and study at one of your universities.”

Coordinate your flight to the US with your au pair agency. Once your visa is approved, coordinate with your agency to schedule your start date. The agency will send you tickets for a flight. Pack your bags, see your friends and family before you leave, and get ready for your year abroad in the United States! Pack 3-4 bags with clothes, personal belongings, and anything you cannot live without for a year. Keep in mind, you’re going to be living in a family home. Leave anything you’ll be able to use at your host family’s home, like a hair dryer. Leave behind your expensive jewelry, culturally irrelevant clothing, or delicate electronics. You can only work as an au pair in the United States for 1 year, although au pairs from certain countries can extend their contracts if they perform well. Your visa will expire 3, 6, or 12 months after your post ends depending on which visa you’re approved for.

Being an Au Pair

Show up at your host family’s home and learn about your role. Your agency representative will meet you at the airport and take you to your host family’s home. When you reach the host family’s home, introduce yourself, be friendly, and allow them to show you your room. Get comfortable in your new home and spend a few days learning where everything is located, what your specific responsibilities are, and what your work schedule is going to be. Your agency representative will support you in your year abroad. They will give you their contact information once you land. If you ever have a problem or a question, contact your representative.

Care for the host family’s children when you’re on the clock. While the specific responsibilities differ from family to family, your main role is to care for the family’s children. Wake them up in the morning, cook for them, take them to school, pick them up, and monitor them when they’re at home. You may also be asked to do some of the housework or family shopping. You will be paid at least $195.75 every week, although many host families will voluntarily pay you more—especially if they ask a lot of you. You are legally required to work less than 45 hours a week, but on lighter weeks you may only work for 20-30 hours.

Spend your free time traveling, socializing, and studying. When you aren’t working, your time is your own. In your spare time, go out and meet people, visit important cultural sites in the US, and enjoy your time abroad. You get a $500 stipend for education, so take a class at a local university if you’d like. If you’re completing a year of school, study, complete your schoolwork, and learn as much as you can. At minimum, you will have 1 weekend a month to spend as you please. These weekends are a great time to visit cities or tourist sites near your host family’s home. You will get at least 1.5 days off every week, but you’ll probably have more free time than that unless your hours are really sporadic or your schedule is strange.

Check in with your representative periodically and complete your year abroad. You will have weekly or monthly meetings with your agency representative to make sure that things are going smoothly. Talk to them over the phone and report on how things are going. Spend time with your host family and enjoy your year abroad! Be sure to leave once your visa expires.Tip: Do not stay past the expiration date on your visa. If you do, you may be banned from entering the United States in the future.