Become an An Pair in Australia

There are no official regulations about becoming an au pair in Australia, but to enter the country you'll need a visa. There are three types available, depending on which country you are from.

Which country are you from?

Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, South Korea and Taiwan

Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, the USA or Vietnam

New Zealand

None of these countries

Good news! You're eligible to apply for special visa to work in Australia, called the Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417). This visa is valid for 12 months, but a second visa (called a "Second Working Holiday visa") can be applied for afterwards.

More information about this visa can be found on the Australian Government website.

Good news! You're eligible to apply for special visa to work in Australia, called the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462). This visa is valid for 12 months, but a second visa (called a "Second Work and Holiday visa") can be applied for afterwards.

More information about this visa can be found on the Australian Government website.

As a citizen of New Zealand you can enter Australia without a visa. However, you will need to obtain a Special Category Visa (SCV) upon arrival in the country. You can find out more information about the SCV from the Australian Embassy website.

We're sorry, but since you are not eligible for the Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) or the Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462), there is no easy way to become an au pair in Australia, however you may still be able to apply for a student visa, depending on your situation.

To find out more about visa options for Australia, check the Australian Department of Home Affairs website.

Requirements

You must be between 18 and 30 years old.
You must not have previously entered Australia on either a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) or a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).
You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia, and to leave Australia at the end of your stay. This is usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare to where you are going after leaving Australia.
You must meet Australia's health requirements. You can read more about these on the Australian Government's website.
You must meet Australia's character requirements, which state that you must be "of good character". Generally this means that you do not hold a criminal record, but there are other considerations which you can read more about on the Australian Government's website.
You must have no children or dependents of your own.

Requirements

You must be between 18 and 30 years old.
You must not have previously entered Australia on either a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) or a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).
You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia, and to leave Australia at the end of your stay. This is usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare to where you are going after leaving Australia.
You must meet Australia's health requirements. You can read more about these on the Australian Government's website.
You must meet Australia's character requirements, which state that you must be "of good character". Generally this means that you do not hold a criminal record, but there are other considerations which you can read more about on the Australian Government's website.
You must have no children or dependents of your own.
You must meet Australia's education requirements, which depend on the country you are from. You can read more about these requirements on the government's Work and Holiday Visa page.
You must have at least functional english, which means that you have EITHER completed a relevant approved English language test or assessment OR you have undertaken relevant education.
You must provide a letter of support from your government.

Requirements for au pairs from New Zealand

You must be between 18 and 30 years old.
You must have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia, and to leave Australia at the end of your stay. This is usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay, plus the fare to where you are going after leaving Australia.
You must meet Australia's health requirements. You can read more about these on the Australian Government's website.
You must meet Australia's character requirements, which state that you must be "of good character". Generally this means that you do not hold a criminal record, but there are other considerations which you can read more about on the Australian Government's website.
You must have no children or dependents of your own.

More Information For Au Pairs

Length of Stay

You can be an au pair in Australia for a maximum of one year. If you want to, you can change family after six months.

Lodging

Your host family must provide you with a private room, and meals for the duration of your stay with them.

Pocket Money

As long as it meets the national minimum wage there is no official recommendation in Australia, but most au pairs receive between 200 and 250 AUD per week, which will be agreed in your au pair contract.

Hours

There are no official regulations about how many hours an au pair should work in Australia, but most au pairs work between 25 and 40 hours per week, which includes babysitting.

Holidays

There are no official regulations about holidays for au pairs in Australia, so you should check with your host family and agree upon an amount. A reasonable starting point would be two days per week, and 4-5 weeks of holiday if you are with a family for one year. On top of this, you should reasonably expect to have the day off on public holidays, like Christmas, New Year's Eve and so on.

You should expect to sometimes go on holiday with your host family and help look after the children. You will also be able to travel home to see your family during the year.

Language Classes

You are allowed to attend English language classes at a local college in your spare time. This is usually paid for by you, but you can ask your host family if they will help with the cost.

Next Steps

If you haven't already done so, click here to create a profile and find a host family.
Sign the au pair contract for Australia with your host family.
Find out more about the Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) on the Australian government website.

Next Steps

If you haven't already done so, click here to create a profile and find a host family.
Sign the au pair contract for Australia with your host family.
Find out more about the Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) on the Australian government website.

Next Steps

If you haven't already done so, click here to create a profile and find a host family.
Sign the au pair contract for Australia with your host family.
Find out more about the Special Category Visa (SCV) on the Australian government website.