Au pair in Australia
Official Au Pair in Australia Program Information
There is no official program to be an au pair
in Australia, however you are able to work as an au pair in
Australia under the Working Holiday Visa or the Work and Holiday
Visa programs. These programs allow young people between the ages
of 18-30 (at the time of application) to have an extended holiday,
which is supplemented by short-term employment. Citizens of certain
countries qualify to participate in the Working Holiday and Work
and Holiday programs in Australia (see below). There are
eligibility requirements and certain conditions you must meet in
order to participate in these schemes.
Au pair in Australia Mandatory criteria
- An au pair in Australia must be 18-30 at the time of
application
- Be outside Australia when you apply and when your visa is
granted
- Not have previously entered Australia on a Working Holiday
(417) visa
- Not have previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday
(462) visa
- Be applying no more than 12 months before you intend to travel
to Australia
- Not be accompanied by dependent children at any time during
your stay in Australia
- Have sufficient funds
Au Pair in Australia General Information
Pocket money
- An au pair in Australia will be paid between AUD$150.00 -
$250.00 per week
Working hours, free time and holidays
- An au pair in Australia works 35-40 hours a week which may
include 2 nights of babysitting
- If you have entered Australia on a student visa, please be
aware that you can only work a maximum of 20 hours per week
- An au pair in Australia gets approximately 2 days off per week,
but this may vary from family to family
- We recommend free time and holiday arrangements be clarified
with your host family prior to departing your home country and make
sure the arrangements are put into your contract
Accommodation and meals
- An au pair in Australia will have a separate bedroom in the
family home and be provided with 3 meals per day
Travel costs
- The cost of the return airfare and visa is paid by the au
pair
- Please refer to our Travel Partners for discounts on flights
and travel insurance
Language skills and course
- To be an au pair in Australia, the ability to speak basic
English is advised but not a pre-requisite
- It is not mandatory to enrol in a language course as an au pair
in Australia
Length of stay
- 12 months maximum, with a 6 month maximum per family
Insurances
- Travel and Medical Insurance is to be paid by the au pair
before departing their home country, unless you are a national of a
country that has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.
Note: limited health care cover, not travel insurance cover
- The Australian Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care
Agreements (RHCA) with the governments of the United Kingdom,
Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Malta
and Italy which entitles you to limited subsidised health services
for medically necessary treatment while visiting as an au pair in
Australia. See this link for more information: http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/uk.jsp
- Don't forget that you can get a 5%
discount on travel insurance from WorldNomads
if you book through our site. See Travel
Insurance Partner for more information and to get a
free online quote
Job Duties
- As an au pair in Australia, job duties will vary from family to
family. Some families will require only childcare, however we have
found that most families will require childcare and a combination
of light housework, pet care, driving duties, shopping and errands
and so on. Please clarify your job duties with your host family and
have it put in writing in your contract.
Driving
- You should be able to drive as an au pair in Australia provided
you have a full, infringement free driver's licence. TheBestAupair
recommends obtaining an International Driver's Licence from the
relevant driving and licensing authority in your country. You must
still travel with your licence from your home country
- If an au pair is required to drive the car as part of their
duties, the host family will provide appropriate insurance for that
vehicle. TheBestAupair recommends the au pair sight a copy of the
insurance policy prior to departing their home country
- Discuss with your host family what happens if you have a car
accident, who pays, and have your agreements put in the
contract
Visa Information
Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)
To be an au pair in Australia, this visa is suitable for people
from the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands,
Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and United Kingdom.
The Working Holiday visa allows you to stay in Australia for up
to 12 months, however you may only stay with the one employer (i.e.
a family) for up to 6 months. You are allowed to do any kind of
work of a casual or temporary nature and are allowed to study for
up to 4 months.
Further information can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/
Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462)
This visa is suitable to be an au pair in Australia for people
who have tertiary qualifications, or have successfully completed at
least two years of undergraduate university study from the
following countries: Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Thailand, Turkey (only 100 granted annually) as well as for US
citizens who have graduated from High School or completed an
equivalent qualification. Citizens of Iran who are currently in
Australia on a Work and Holiday visa may also be eligible to apply
for further Work and Holiday visas.
The work and Holiday visa allows you to stay in Australia for up
to 12 months and the purpose of this visa is to allow you to work
temporarily to supplement your travel. You are allowed to work as
an au pair in Australia with each employer for up to six months
however you are not allowed to work for longer than six months in
the same position, in the same location, doing the same work. The
six-month work limitation applies to full-time, part-time, casual
or shift work. You are also allowed to study for up to 4
months.
Further information can be found at:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/462/
Note: You may also apply for a student visa to be an au pair in
Australia, please visit: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/
for more information.
Citizens of New Zealand can work as an au pair in Australia
without restriction, as long as they meet certain requirements.
Additional Information
TheBestAupair recommends the host family contact the ATO to
discuss whether or not they are obliged to withhold tax from an au
pair's pocket money. If they are required to do so, the au pair
will need to apply for a tax file number and depending on which
state the family lives in, they may also be required to pay
worker's compensation insurance.
If you are an Australian family who wants an german au pair, or
a german au pair who is looking for a host family in Australia, you
may also want to check out AuPair-Assist.de / Aupair-Assist.com. Anja provides a great
service in ensuring that the german au pair is well prepared for
their time as an au pair in Australia.
You can find additional information about being an au pair in
Australia by clicking on the links in the Relevant links section on
the right hand side of this page.
If you have any comments regarding being an au pair
in Australia, please Email us - we value your feedback!