Au Pairs
The Immigration Rules allow for people to seek to enter or remain in the United Kingdom in an au pair placement.
What are the Requirements for an Au Pair visa?
The Rules define an au pair placement as:
- an arrangement whereby a young person comes to the United Kingdom for the purposes of learning the English language
- lives for a time as a member of an English speaking family with the appropriate opportunities for study
- helps in the home for a maximum of 5 hours a day in return for a reasonable allowance and with two free days per week.
The Rules also set out a number of requirements for leave to enter an au pair: The rules are that:
- the person must be seeking entry for the purpose of taking up an arranged placement.
- the arranged placement must fall within the definition of an au pair as explained above.
- the person making the application can only be between ages 17 and 27 inclusive or was between 17 and 27 when they were first given leave to enter
- they are unmarried without dependants.
- the person is from one of the following countries:
Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, The Faroes, Greenland, Macedonia, Monaco, San Marino or Turkey ( Nationals
of Turkey with leave over 6 months will be required to register with the Police)
- the au pair must be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to Public Funds.
- the au pair must not intend to stay in the United Kingdom for more than two years as an au pair and must demonstrate an intention to leave the United Kingdom on completion of the stay as an au pair.
What sort of visa is an au pair given?
If the Rules are met the au pair will be given permission to enter the United Kingdom as an au pair for a period not exceeding two years with a prohibition on employment except as an au pair.
The two year period is not an aggregate period and any absences from the UK are not taken into account. If the au pair has previously spent time in the United Kingdom as an au pair, the au pair cannot complete a second period as an au pair that will run beyond the two years.
How is the Application made?
The application is made on the relevant form available from the Embassy or Consulate.
Applicants who are visa nationals require Entry Clearance before coming to the UK as an au pair.
Non visa nationals do not normally require Entry Clearance but may wish to consider applying anyway so that they know that they satisfy the rules before travelling.