Au pair visa Australia, nanny visa Australia

There is no official au pair visa or nanny visa Australia however, there are few different visas that might be taken into consideration when engaging an au pair to take care of your children in Australia.

Working holiday visa as an Au Pair Visa Australia

The most popular Au pair visa Australia are Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) programs. These Australian visa programs are available for passport holders of certain countries.

To be an au pair in Australia under Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) nanny must be a holder of a passport of one of these countries: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and United Kingdom. (visas are not capped)

Passport holders of the following countries might be eligible to apply for a Work and Holiday visa: Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Uruguay. Please note Work and Holiday visas for these countries are capped (except USA) and sometimes it is very hard to secure this kind of visa as allocation is exhausted very quickly (new countries are being added all the time – check the curent list on department’s website).

The Working Holiday visa allows nannies to stay in Australia for up to 12 months, but she (or he) may only stay with one employer (yes – host is considered as an employer) for up to 6 months.

The idea of a Working Holiday visa program is to allow people between 18-30 years of age (at the time of application) to have a holiday in Australia, which is supplemented by employment. There are some requirements and conditions visa applicants must meet in order to be granted a visa.

Some of Working Holiday Au pair visa Australia mandatory criteria for a visa grant:

An au pair in Australia must be 18-30 at the time of application
Nanny must be outside Australia while applying for a visa and when a visa is granted
Can’t be in Australia previously on a Working Holiday (417) visa
Can’t be in Australia previously on a Work and Holiday (462) visa
Can’t be accompanied by dependent children during a stay in Australia
Have sufficient funds

Student Visa as nanny visa in Australia

The other option broadly explored as a nanny visa in Australia is a Student visa. Overseas students in Australia are entitled to work 20hrs per week during each semester and full time during holidays and breaks. 20 hours may seem to be not satisfactory for some hosts, but keep in mind there are a lot of holidays when students can work full time. Please also remember student visa holders must go to school, otherwise, their visa may be canceled.

Although it’s not an ideal option, pros are:

all nationalities could participate in this program as Student Visas are available for every country
there is also no half-year limit, so as long as nanny’s student visa is valid, she (or he) can look after the host family’s children.

To be eligible for a student visa Au Pair must be enrolled in a course listed on CRICOS site, and have enough funds to live in Australia for a duration of a course, age does not matter.

Tourist visa as nanny visa Australia

A tourist visa is granted by the Department of Immigration for tourism purposes only. Work is not allowed for tourist visa holders. Keeping in mind that babysitting is a work, it’s essentially illegal to be an au pair or a nanny as a tourist visa holder.

Au Pair in Australia General Information

An au pair in Australia is paid usually between AUD$150.00 – $250.00 per week
An au pair in Australia is working 35-40 hours a week (this may include 2 nights of babysitting) (If a nanny is in Australia on a student visa, can only work a maximum of 20 hours per week – it’s a condition of a student visa)
An au pair in Australia usually gets 2 days off per week, but this may vary from family to family
A host must provide An au pair in Australia a separate bedroom and 3 meals per day
The cost of the return airfare and visa is paid usually by nanny
Nanny’s ability to speak basic English is advised but not essential
As an au pair in Australia, job duties can differ from family to family. Some families require only childcare, but most families will require childcare and also a combination of housework, pet care, driving duties, shopping and so on. Make sure to clarify your job duties with your family and have it in writing in your contract.
You might be able to drive as a nanny in Australia if you have a driver’s license. If an au pair is requested to drive the car as part of their duties, the host family will have to provide relevant insurance for that vehicle. Discuss with your host what happens if you have an accident, and have your agreements in the contract
Citizens of New Zealand can work as an au pair in Australia without restriction, as long as they meet certain requirements.

If you’d like to engage an overseas person to be a nanny in Australia please do not hesitate to contact us or book an appointment with migration agent to discuss the best option for your nanny.