Aupair Visa Usa - Au Pair Program in USA

There are some au pairs that do not require visas such as au pairs already living in the USA with an extendable J-1 aupair visa through an authorized US au pair agency or those au pairs that have a dual citizenship. Most au pairs will require a visa to enter the U.S. legally as an "au pair". So visa requirements need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

While we are aware that some au pairs may try to come to the States on a tourist visa, the United States authorizes eleven agencies to administer the au pair program and procure the au pair J-1 visa. These agencies have program fees that range from $5,700 to $6,680, which typically include the au pair's health insurance, a background check and the au pair's roundtrip airfare to and from New York, and an au pair training program.

If you are hiring a US nanny to work in the United States there are no visa concerns or agency fees involved. If you are considering hosting an international au pair you will need to select an authorized US au pair agency that supports au pairs from your desired au pair-country and that has a local coordinator in your area.

GreatAupair's Au Pair Premiere Program is designed to provide families and aupairs with an easy way to determine program eligibility, compare agency program fees and easily select the agency that's right for you. You can review the au pair visa requirements, which limit eligibility to au pairs between the ages of 18-26. Host Family requirements and responsibilities typically include caring for no more than 4 children between the ages of 3 months and 12 years. However, a few au pair agencies do accept families with more than 4 children and children older then 12 years of age.

You can find a list of the J-1 eligible countries here: Au Pair Premiere Program. As a world-wide site with registered families, aupairs and nannies from over 150 countries, there may be some candidates registered who are not eligible for the US J-1 aupair visa program. However, these au pairs may be eligible to work in other countries, or may be eligible for a student visa program for US families wanting to host an international student for part-time childcare.

Please note as of December 29th, 2006, that nationals from the following countries are NOT eligible for the au pair J-1 visa for the US. (This may change over time as au pair agencies establish representation in these countries):

Angola, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

In order to go about getting a legal work visa for an au pair, you will have to do one of the following things:

1. GreatAupair has negotiated reduced rates for families and aupairs interested in obtaining a legal J-1 visa. If you are interested in applying for a J-1 visa program through GreatAupair's government authorized partners, visit GreatAupair's Au Pair Premiere Program. If you find your aupair through GreatAupair and go through one of our partner's J-1 programs, it usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks from application to aupair arrival.



2. Go direct through one of the au pair agencies listed below that will charge you approximately $5,700 to $6,680 in program fees, plus application fees. By going directly through an agency where they find you a match, it usually takes between 8 to 12 weeks from application to aupair arrival.



3. Obtain an H-1B work visa through an independent immigration attorney.



4. Families who do not need full-time childcare and who want to participate in a cultural exchange program may be interested in sponsoring a student for the F-1 student visa program. There are no age or nationality restrictions on this visa; however, the focus is on the student, rather than childcare. The student is required to carry a minimum of 12 credit hours at a local college or university that offers the I-20 form. The family typically covers the costs of travel, tuition, student health insurance, in addition to giving the student weekly pocket money. In exchange for this support, the candidate usually assists the family as a member of the family when they do not have school responsibilities. They should not be expected to assist the family more than 20-25 hours per week.
   
   For additional information on the student visas check these resources:
   
   Student Visas
   F-1 Student Visa
   
   

   The H-1B visa is restricted to those jobs that require the applicant to have attained a bachelor's degree (or higher) and cannot be issued for an "au pair" position, but may be issued for the position of "educator" such as for a home-school teacher or linguist that has the specific skills and credentials that meet your particular job description. The H-1B visa also stipulates that the "employee" must be paid the prevailing wage for the specified job.

   The H-1B visa option should be carefully weighed based on your unique job requirements that cannot be categorized as "domestic helper". The cost for an H-1B visa, using an immigration attorney will cost approximately $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the complexity of the case. It usually takes about 3 months to obtain an H-1B visa. The H-1B visa may be good for up to 3 years.

The value of GreatAupair is that it puts you in control of finding and selecting the aupair that's right for your family - with greater speed and efficiency - at a lower cost. Hiring the right aupair doesn't have to be difficult, but making the right choice depends on your level of involvement. Typically if you go directly through an agency without GreatAupair's involvement, you are presented with one au pair's file at a time and the au pair is not as involved in the decision. It has been our experience at GreatAupair, that in order to ensure a successful match, both the aupair and the family must select each other and choose to work together. Through GreatAupair, you can easily extract hundreds or thousands of targeted profiles that match your criteria, and then review them at your leisure.

There is a great value in being proactive. You have more options; more control and you can be more discriminating in finding the right au pair.

Click here to compare US Agencies authorized to administer the J-1 Au Pair Program

For more information on the aupair program in the USA, Click here.