Living in the United Kingdom as an au pair may be a good choice for you if you want to learn English. Au Pairs are often looking, according to Great Au Pair.com, for new cultural experiences while wanting to serve as an important part of the parenting team. You should not, however, confuse an au pair with a nanny.
Qualifying to become an au pair, according to the UK Border Agency, is difficult because only nationals from certain countries can get an au pair visa. Andorra, The Faroes, Monaco, Macedonia, Croatia, San Marino, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greenland and Turkey are the approved countries for obtaining an au pair visa.
Acceptance for an au pair visa requires you to be between the ages of 17 and 28. If you apply, according to the UK Border Agency, before your 17th birthday, your entry clearance may not be issued until you are actually 17 years old. If you apply while you are 27, and then you turn 28, you can still get your au pair visa. Other requirements for an au pair visa are that you cannot be married, you can have no dependants, you must plan to stay in England for no more than two years, you must support yourself without help from public funds and you must leave the country when your time is up.
You will need a letter of invitation from your host family. This letter should, according to the UK Border Agency, confirm your placement in their home and describe the arrangements. These arrangements can include details of your host, family duties, pocket money and time for study. One thing to keep in mind is that a person living alone is not considered a family. Your host family must be a resident of the United Kingdom, and English should be the spoken language within the family. As an au pair, you can expect to help out in the home for a maximum of 5 hours per day, with two days off per week.
Arrangements that are acceptable for an au pair, according to the UK Border Agency, are that you should be free to attend your choice of religious services and language classes, receive free room and board and have your own room. You may be expected to baby-sit for two nights a week, and you should get an reasonable allowance of up to 55 pounds per week. If you receive more money than this, you are considered a domestic servant and will require a work visa.
