Au pair programmes and visa information

Points-based system tier 5 (youth mobility scheme) (INF28)
Last updated 10 February 2010 

This guidance is for applicants who are resident outside the United Kingdom.  It explains what you need to do if you are a sponsored young person of a certain age, and nationality specified in Appendix G of the Immigration Rules, wishing to experience life in the United Kingdom (UK) under Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) of the Points Based System. Your government acts as sponsor. It is only a guide but it aims to answer some common questions. There are also notes to help you to complete an application form.

More comprehensive and definitive guidance is available at the UK Border Agency website, where you will find details of the definitive version, and in the event of any discrepancy, overrules the information provided here.  The Youth Mobility Scheme is only available to people resident outside the UK.  For more information please visit the Home Office website at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/

Not all countries have official au pair programmes, however, an au pair can still travel to such countries and be an au pair if a host family can be found & if the local visa requirement is met.

Below you will find some details covering UK Au Pair programme. The details are correct at time of printing, but it is in your best interest to use the following information as a guide only and to check with the relevant authorities if you are at all unsure.
 
Au pairs from the 25 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and au pairs that are Swiss nationals have the right of free movement and residence in the UK. However, nationals of the all new member states  incl: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia (except Cyprus and Malta) who wish to work for more than one month for an employer in the UK, need to register under the worker registration scheme.

US citizens cannot go to the UK as au pairs.  However, au pairs from the US may obtain a blue card from BUNAC.  A blue card is issued and sponsored by BUNAC and acts as an entry visa to allow US university students to work in Britain for up to six months maximum.  Countries that are members of the commonwealth (see list below) need to obtain a holiday work visa. The working holiday maker scheme is an arrangement that allows a Commonwealth citizen aged between 17 and 30 to come to the UK for an extended holiday for up to 2 years. You will be permitted to work, but as the main purpose of your stay is assumed to be a holiday, you will be expected to take a holiday during your stay. Nationals from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and the USA are required to get entry clearance if they intend to stay in the UK for longer than six months.

Members of the Commonwealth

Antigua & Barbuda	Mozambique
Australia	Namibia
Bahamas	Nauru
Bangladesh	New Zealand
Barbados	Nigeria
Belize	Pakistan
Botswana	Papua New Guinea
Brunei Darussalam	Samoa
Cameroon	Seychelles
Canada	Sierra Leone
Cyprus	Singapore
Dominica	Solomon Islands
Fiji Islands	South Africa
The Gambia	Sri Lanka
Ghana	St. Kitts and Nevis
Grenada	St. Lucia
Guyana	St. Vincent & the Grenadines
India	Swaziland
Jamaica	Tonga
Kenya	Trinidad & Tobago
Kiribati	Tuvalu
Lesotho	Uganda
Malawi	United Kingdom
Malaysia	United Republic of Tanzania
Maldives	Vanuatu
Malta	Zambia
Mauritius	Zimbabwe

Nationals of Andorra, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Macedonia, Monaco, Romania, San Marino and Turkey can enter the UK as an au pair in the UK’s au pair scheme if they are between the ages of 17 - 27. However, Nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey must get an au pair visa (maximum 2 years) before they travel to the UK. Nationals of the other countries who do not need a visa to enter the UK will have to satisfy the Immigration Officer that you qualify for entry. You will then be given permission to stay in the UK for six months. An au pair wishing to extend their stay to be longer then 6 months will need to apply for a residence permit at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

If you are unsure about whether you need a visa or not the UK Visa website has a tool that tells you if you need a visa and what forms you need to fill out to get the visa you require.