UK Au Pairs Scheme

What is the au pair scheme?

The scheme allows a single person between 17 and 27 to come to the United Kingdom to study English.

You can live for up to two years as a member of an English-speaking family.

You help in the home for up to five hours a day.

You get at least two full days off a week.

In return you get an allowance and your own room. An allowance of £55 a week is recommended.

Which countries are included in the Au Pair scheme?

An au pair must be a national of one of the following countries.

European Economic Area nationals are not included in the official au pair scheme; but they are free to come to the United Kingdom as au pairs.

Do I need a visa as an au pair?

Nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey must get a visa from their British Embassy or Consulate before they travel to the United Kingdom.

You can get guidance leaflets and information about visas from the UKvisas website.

How do I qualify for the au pair scheme?

You must show that:

• you are not married;
• you have no dependants;
• you plan to stay for no more than two years as an au pair;
• you will not need help from public funds; and
• you plan to leave the United Kingdom when you complete your stay as an au pair.

What are public funds?

If you come to live or stay in the United Kingdom, you must be able to support and accommodate yourself without claiming certain state benefits. These are:

• Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA);
• housing and homelessness assistance;
• Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit;
• Working Families' Tax Credit;
• a social fund payment;
• Child Benefit; or
• any disability allowance.

Can I move to another 'host' family?

You may move to another family as long as the new arrangements satisfy the Immigration Rules.

Can I extend my stay as an au pair?

You can apply to extend your stay if you satisfy these conditions:

• we gave you permission to enter the United Kingdom as an au pair;
• you still have an au pair placement; and
• an extension would not make your stay longer than two years.

Do I have to register with the police?

If you have to register with the police, we will stamp this requirement in your passport. You must register within seven days of arriving in the United Kingdom.

To register, you will need your passport and two passport-size photographs of yourself. If you are staying in the Metropolitan Police Area, you should take these to the Overseas Visitors Records Office, Brandon House, 180 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LH, between 9am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. If you are not staying in the Metropolitan Area, you should contact your local police force for the address and opening hours of other police registration offices. You will have to pay a fee for registering with the police.

How do I apply for the Au Pairs Scheme?

You will need to complete an application form. Applications (except those for asylum and work permits or under European Community law) will not be valid unless they are made on the appropriate application form. You can get copies of application forms from the Working in the UK website.

To apply for further leave to remain, get form FLR (O).

If you are in any doubt as to which form you should use please telephone the Immigration and Nationality Enquiry Bureau on 0870 606 7766.

You should send the completed form, by post, before your permission to stay ends. The application form will give you details of all the documents you will need to send with your application and where you should send it.

If you need to travel urgently, you can apply in person at one of the Home Office public enquiry offices.

All documents should be originals unless you have a good reason why you cannot produce them with your application. We will not normally accept photocopies.

What should I do if I have problems?

If you are having difficulties with your host family, you may ask your agency for help.

If you feel that you have been unfairly treated by your agency and want advice, you should contact the Employment Agency Standards Office at the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI). Their helpline number is 0645 555105 or you can write to them at:

1 Victoria Street
London SW1H OET.

The following organisations may be able to help you if you are in difficulty. Those marked with a star (*) can also help you find a family who want an au pair. You can contact:

• your consulate (your country's representative in the United Kingdom);
• your local Citizens' Advice Bureau;
• your local Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA); and
• your local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).

Their addresses and telephone numbers are in your local telephone book.

* International Catholic Society for Girls (ACISJF)
55 Nightingale Road
Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire WD3 2BU

Telephone: 01923 778449

Swiss Benevolent Society
83 Marylebone High Street
London W1M 3DE

Telephone: 0207 935 1303

If you want addresses of au pair agencies, please contact:

* Recruitment and Employment Confederation
36-38 Mortimer Street
London W1N 7RB

Telephone: 020 7462 3260

(Please send a stamped addressed label or international reply coupon.)

* The International Au Pair Association (IAPA)
c/o FIYTO
Bredegade 25 H
DK. 1260 Copenhagen K
Denmark

Telephone: 00 45 33 33 96 00
Fax: 00 45 33 93 96 76

(Please say that you want addresses of agencies in the United Kingdom.)

*The British Au Pair Agencies Association (BAPAA)
c/o FIYTO

Bredegade 25 H
DK. 1260 Copenhagen K
Denmark

Telephone: 00 45 33 33 96 00
Fax: 00 45 33 93 96 76