How to Work as an Au Pair in the USA

Working as an Au Pair in America is a great way to experience the United States. If you want to be an Au Pair in the USA you will need to use a placement agency and obtain a J1 work VISA. There are plenty of agencies to choose from that will help you find a job, complete the necessary legal steps, and make your transition to the states easier. This post will help you better understand how to work as an Au Pair in the USA and what placement agencies might be a good fit for you.

Working as an Au Pair in America

Requirements to be an Au Pair in the USA

Requirements may vary depending on what country you are from, but general requirements are as follows; ages 18-26, unmarried with no children, speak and understand English, and have completed secondary school.

VISA requirements to work in the USA

To be an Au Pair in the USA (if you are not a US citizen/passport holder), you will need to obtain a J1 work VISA. To get this visa, you need to have a sponsor (i.e. an au pair agency or other legal visa sponsor/company).

Length of stay

All Au Pair USA placements are a minimum of 12 months. After your year ends, you have a 30-day grace period to explore the USA. Depending on the country you are from you, there is a possibility to extend your visa for another 6, 9, or 12 months.

Using an agency

To legally work as an Au Pair in the USA, you need to use an au pair placement agency or other sponsor company.

Agencies vet the families that they work with, thus providing safety and support during the matching process. They do the bulk of the work for you by placing you with, or helping you find, a family they think will be a good match. They walk you though what you need to know, how to obtain your VISA, provide assistance while abroad, and more. They also make sure you receive proper payment and the agreed upon benefits of the job.

Finding your own host family

If you want to find your own host family, you can use websites such as AuPair.com or Au Pair World. However, once you connect with a family, you will then need to work with an agency/sponsor to complete the process of legally obtaining a visa to work in the country.

How to know if an agency is legitimate

To make sure and Au Pair agency is legitimate you need to do your research. Read past Au Pair reviews on third party websites, make sure they are certified, see if they have legitimate partner agencies, and check if they are a member of accredited Au Pair associations such as the International Au Pair Association.

Cost of being an Au Pair in America

Agency fees vary depending on what they provide their Au Pairs. Fees may not include things such as; flights, VISA costs, background checks, international drivers licenses, health insurance, other traveling costs, etc… It is important to understand the breakdown of the fees you will need to pay and what is included or excluded in those fees.

It’s best to have money saved before you move to the USA. Most people reccommend having $2,000.

Au Pair Placement Agencies in the USA

The agencies below advertise Au Pair placements in the USA. Prices will depend on a variety of factors, such as the types of assistance the company provides. You do not need to use one of the agencies on this list and can partner with other sponsor companies that work best for you.

• Au Pair in America
• Au Pair International
• Eur Au Pair
• Christian Au Pairs
• Agent Au Pair 
• Culture Care Au Pair
• Au Pair 4 Me
• Au Pair First
• Expert Au Pair
• Au Pair USA
• Square Au Pair  
• Au Pair Care 
• Celtic Childcare
  • Celtic Childcare mentions placing Italian nationals with US host families, but does not explicitly state that you must be an Italian citizen to apply.
• Dream Nannies
• Global Au Pairs
  • Global Au Pairs is for nationals from Asia, Europe, or Latin America.
• International Au Pair Italy
• Zubke 
• Epic
• Club RCI 
• ACEXPLORE 
• Nina Care 
• Anixi 
  • Anixi places Swedish Au Pairs in the USA
• KIDOWE 
• Upper  
• Niagara Care Givers 
• APITU GO EXPLORE 
• A.I.S.
• Aupair Girona 
• Active Abroad
• Pipelettes Agency
• Roma Au Pair
• The Youth Exchange Center
• JCR Au Pairs and Nannies
  • JCR is for Australian passport holders.
• Nannies Abroad
  • Nannies Abroad is for New Zealand nationals.
• AIFS
  • AIFS is for EU or Swiss citizens only.
• AFJ Au Pair
  • AFJ is for French citizens.
• Go 4 Au Pair
  • Go 4 Au Pair is for German nationals.
• Au Pair Idiomas 
  • Idiomas is for citizens of Spain.
• Au Pair Mexico  
  • This program is for Mexican citizens.
• Vas! Mexico
  • Vas! is for Mexican citizens.
• Mex Au Pair
  • Mex Au Pair is for Mexican citizens.
• Au Pair Japanese Connection 
  • This program is for Japanese citizens only.
• Engenius Au Pair Program 
  • This program is for female Thai citizens only.
• Au Pair Thailand
  • This program is for Thai citizens only.
• Carla’s Au Pairs 
  • This agency places South African or Namibian citizens only.
• Living Aupair World
  • This program is for Columbian citizens only.

Conclusion

If you want to be an Au Pair in the USA, then hopefully this post simplified the process for you. To get a job as an Au Pair you will need to use an au pair agency or sponsor company to obtain a J1 visa. Have you worked as an Au Pair in America? What sponsor agency did you use to work in the USA? Please share your experience in the comments below.