Au pair placement at AuPairCare

AuPairCare has been accompanying participants on their way to becoming an au pair and during their time abroad for over 25 years. We have already placed over 22,000 young women and men with suitable host families. If you would like to become an au pair, we are the right partner for you. Our team of experienced advisors will do everything in their power to make your dream of being an au pair come true.

The placement period - the time in between submitting your application until your arrival at the host family - depends on various factors. The sooner you complete your application, the sooner your profile can be found by an interested host family, and the sooner you can get in touch with them. If you are particularly fast, it can only take 2-3 months from your application to your departure.

Jump to...

– au pair interview

– preparation and support

Steps of becoming an au pair

Au pair with suitcase
Your interest

You want to become an au pair? Start your application or call us with your questions. Together we can clarify whether you meet the requirements, where to go and when to start.

Au pair and child painted
Your application

If you want to go to Australia, we will send you all the necessary documents and info you need for your application. If you want to be an au pair in the US, you can do everything online through the myAuPairCare portal. 

Au pair Interview
Your personal interview

Let's get to know each other! In order to clarify all open questions and discuss the further application process, we will schedule an informal interview with you, either in person or by phone.

Au Pair host family
Your host family

If a host family is interested in you, you will receive an e-mail with all the information for your first contact. Both you and your host family have to decide for one another and determine the date of your arrival together.

Au pair Visa
Your visa

Once you've found a host family, it's time to apply for your au pair visa. For the USA, you need to schedule an appointment at the embassy. For your Australian visa, you can simply apply online.

What we promise:

  • We accompany you from the beginning to the end of your application process.

  • The programme fees are only due after you match with a host family.

  • Our emergency hotline is open around the clock - 7 days a week!

  • Your safety is important to us: Your programme fees include a comprehensive insurance package.

The au pair interview

au pair interview

After you have submitted your completed application, we will schedule an interview with you. We believe that it is important to get to know you and for you to get to know us! It's also a chance to discuss the further process with you and answer all your questions. The interview will be conducted by an AuPairCare representative and will either be in person or via Skype or phone. If you want to go the US, a personal interview is a mandatory prerequisite and a US Department of State regulation. 

You do not have to prepare for the interview. You will already know why you want to become an au pair and have an idea of ​​what it means to be an au pair. Just be yourself and try to be open and relaxed!

What's next?

After your application and your successful interview, the placement process can finally start. Your documents will be forwarded by us to our AuPairCare office in San Francisco or to our partner agency in Australia. Now it's time to wait! Once a family is interested in you, you will receive an email with their contact details and all the important information.

Most families would like to ask potential au pairs some questions in order to get to know them better and decide if they would be a good fit. The chemistry must be right on both sides. An au pair skype interview is a good opportunity to find out if the family is right for you and if you and the family are a good match.

Once you decide for one another, you will set your arrival date. Now you can apply for your au pair visa.

High chances of placement

Benefit from our experience! AuPairCare is one of the most renowned placement agencies that has been placing au pairs and host families for 30 years. Become an au pair with AuPairCare and find a host family abroad!

Start your au pair journey now

Your preparation and support at AuPairCare

We greatly value personal contact. From start to finish, we remain your point of contact and work closely with our colleagues and partners abroad. Even after your successful placement, we are here for you to make your stay as an au pair as smooth and memorable as possible. You can rely on us and our AuPairCare support network to prepare you for your life as an au pair and support you at any step of the way, both abroad and at home. 

If you meet all the necessary requirements for participation, you will receive all information for a successful application, access to your au pair portal (US participants only) and the contract documents.

In the US, there will be a preparatory orientation in your host country before you will meet your host family or virtual online courses. However, please note that this is not the case for our Australia programme. 

During your au pair stay, our AuPairCare colleagues/partner agency are/is your first point of contact. Your personal area director will be there to help you and your host family with any issues that may arise. Your area director

- lives max. 1.5 hours by car away from you and your host family

- reviews your host family's application according to strict programme rules and checks them in advance by visiting them at home, explaining the programme to them, obtaining references, and making sure the family is ready to accept you as a family member

- calls you soon after your arrival

- arranges an introductory meeting with you 

- organizes meetings with other international au pairs

- supports you in the choice of college courses (US programme only)

AuPairCare teams abroad and in Germany are also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via a 24-hour emergency hotline.

Even after your return, your au pair adventure is far from over! We would be delighted if you stayed in touch with us. Perhaps you would like to become an AuPairCare representative and help prepare other au pairs in your area for their stay abroad?

Maybe you would like to share your experiences with future participants and prospects as a returnee at fairs and informational events. We also invite you to share your photos and videos with us, or write an experience report. 

Do you have any questions for us?

Would you like to know something about the au pair interview, the matching process with families or the au pair program in general? Then ask us your question directly via WhatsApp. We look forward to your message! Due to the current situation, it may take us a bit longer to respond. We apologize and thank you for your understanding.

Write us on WhatsApp!

  • To apply for your visa, you must appear in person at the American Embassy closest to your location. Making an appointment will involve a fee and some paperwork. However, we will provide you with all the support you need, including assistance in completing your visa and all the necessary forms. You will receive the appointment within approx. 2-4 weeks, the processing will then take approx. 5-7 working days. There must always be at least 5 weeks between the match with your host family and your departure, so you have enough time to take care of your visa.

    Our American colleagues book the flight to the USA at least two weeks before departure. Details and the electronic ticket can be found online in your MyAuPairCare portal.

  • AuPairCare has a network of qualified and fully trained representatives across the United Kingdom and Ireland. You will meet up with one of our friendly and competent staff for a personal interview once the first and second part of the application has been completed. The interview will be conducted in one of the following cities: London, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow or Dublin.  If you apply for our Au pair Australia programme, the interview can also be conducted via phone or Skype.

    The interview will be an opportunity to chat about your childcare skills and your desire to become an au pair in the USA or Australia. It is also the final stage of the application before your application will be sent to our Head Office in the US or to our partner agency in Australia in order to be reviewed there.

     

  • If you decide to go abroad as an au pair, you contractually agree to take care of your host children for 6-12 months, depending on the programme. In most host families, both parents work and depend on your help. If you break the contract and end the programme earlier, you will have to pay for your return flight yourself. You will also not receive a completion certificate. If you end the US programme earlier, the corresponding visa cannot be granted a second time. Please keep in mind how bad it is for children when an important caregiver is constantly changing. 

    The au pair programme in the USA is set by the US government to last 12 months (plus a 13th month of travel). Therefore, we cannot offer shorter au pair programmes in the USA. You will successfully complete the US au pair programme if you have lived with a host family for 12 months and earned 6 college credits during the year. The Au pair Australia programme will be successfully completed after at least 6 months. If you extend the programme, it will be considered successful at the end of your extension and the acquisition of additional college credits (USA only).

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