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The visa requirements vary depending on the Au Pair citizenship and
target country. The Au Pair needs to ask the host country's embassy in her/his homeland about the visa requirements.
EU and EFTA citizens don’t need a visa to work in the European Union, but they need it to work outside the EU, for example in
China,
Australia,
Canada or
USA (to become an
Au Pair in the USA, the Au Pairs will need to apply for a
J-1 Visa, which can be issued only if they register with a sponsor agency’s partner in the Au Pair’s home country).
Video: When is a visa required?
The following video deals with whether the Au Pair needs a visa or not and which documents are needed.
The Host Family and the Au Pair should check in advance the visa requirements. If it is not possible for the Au Pair to get a visa, both Au Pair and Host Family can move forward to find another match.
If the Au Pair does not meet the visa requirements in one country, it doesn't mean she/he cannot get a visa in another. Detailed information is available in embassies and consulates of the prospective host countries, where the visa application has to be also submitted.
The future Host Family can call or visit the local registration / immigration office. There they can get detailed information about
hosting an Au Pair and
visa regulations in their country. On AuPair.com you can also find visa requirements in majority of the countries which have official legal regulations regarding the Au Pair program:
If the Au Pair needs to extend the visa, it is usually possible to do it in the host country. The Au Pair will need to contact the embassy for further information.
Au Pairs with dual citizenship
If someone with a dual citizenship wants to
be an Au Pair in the country of the second citizenship, he/she needs to meet the requirements. The process is identical to the other Au Pairs' except visa formalities.
The Au Pair needs to register his/her permanent address at the resident’s registration office. Instead of the visa, the Au Pair generally needs to show the second passport.
What documents should the Au Pairs provide to apply for the visa?
The Au Pair should not apply for a visa before she/he finds the future Host Family and signs the
contract, explaining terms and conditions of the Au Pair program.
If the Au Pair needs to apply for a visa to enter the host country, she/he has to submit application for a visa at the embassy or consulate of the host country in the Au Pair’s country of residence.
Some files, like letter of invitation or the Au Pair contract, signed by both parties, will be most likely needed during the application process. The Host Family should provide, as far as possible, all the supporting documents required for the visa.
Documents required during visa application may vary depending on the Au Pair’s citizenship and the destination country. Some countries require the applicants to have the basic language knowledge to get a visa. Sometimes an official certificate proving the Au Pair’s language fluency is crucial.
As a rule, the following documents are required during the visa application:
-
Valid passport. The visa can't be issued if the Au Pair’s passport is not valid at the time of the application. The Au Pair should make sure it will be valid for the whole time she/he is going to spend in the host country.
-
Signed Au Pair contract. The Host Family should fill and print the contract. They need to send the original to the Au Pair so that he/she can sign it, send a copy to the Host Family and show it at the host country's embassy.
-
Invitation letter from the Host Family. The Host Family should write an invitation letter and send it to the Au Pair. Sometimes the letter will need to be notarized to justify the Au Pair stays in the host country.
-
Certificate of criminal records. The Au Pair should not have any criminal records to be entitled to a visa.
Au Pair’s criminal record
It is often requested that the Au Pair hands in the criminal record. If the Au Pair chooses to organize his/her stay abroad with an
agency, the agency will surely ask the Au Pair to submit a criminal record, as it is part of the standard procedures of screening possible candidates.
If an Au Pair found the Host Family with the help of an
online agency (like eg. AuPair.com), it is the decision of the family whether they want to see the criminal record of the Au Pair or not. In case they ask for it, the Au Pair should always send a copy of it even if it is not clear.
A clear criminal record is an advantage when
applying for an Au Pair job. The Host Family invites the Au Pair to live in their house and to take care of their children. This is a huge responsibility. Due to that reason, Au Pair agencies that place Au Pairs only accept candidates with clear criminal records.
Application for the criminal record
To apply for the criminal record, the Au Pair can ask for a query to get an excerpt out of the PNC (police national computer) at every police station. Therefore he/she only needs his/her ID and around 10 GBP for a necessary fee. The whole procedure will take approximately 2 weeks. The kind of offences listed in the criminal record depends on the country. Depending on the
Au Pair Program of every country the Au Pair can be asked for different kinds of certificates.
Free Registration as Family
Here you will find more information on the topic of
difficulties with the visa application.
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