1 – What you are going to be doing as an Au Pair…
- Cultural exchange (Work and study)
- Leaving with a host family
- Taking care of host kids
- Sharing housework responsibilities (related to the kids)
- Receive $195.75/week
Au pair is a domestic assistant from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family’s responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a monetary allowance for personal use.
Curiosity: The term Au Pair in French means “Equal” “on par”
reference: Wikipedia
2 – The number one thing is do you enjoy taking care of kids? 
- Patience
- Dedication
- Persistence
- Attention
As an Au Pair, you are going to have some kind of responsibilities over the kids development, so is very important that you are wiling to work closely with the parents for all their needs. Taking care of kids is not an easy task, it envolves a lot of things such as patience, kids pass through different phases and you need to be able to understand and deal with it, it takes a lot of commitment to be consistent and teach the kids the consequences of their actions, of course in this scenario the parents are important guidance for you.
3 – Now, that said, we can talk about the pre-requisites to be an Au Pair.
You can apply to be an Au Pair if:
- You are between 18 to 26 years old
- Have experience with kids, about 200 hours
- Speak intermediate English
- Have a Drive License
3 – Choosing an Agency
Now, that you fit all the requisites, here I am going to list the most popular agencies that you can apply, from your country or directly through their website. (for Brazilians, I am making a special post about agencie options, coming soon!)
4 – Families Interview
After picking up a agency that you feel more comfortable to work with, you are going to start your application and the families are going to start interviewing you.
Here is a list of questions you can ask in order to get to know your host family and decide if it is a good match
6 – Apply for your VISA
After you find a family that fits your needs you are going to apply for your VISA.
The Interview is in English, so be prepared. They basically want to know, where you are going and why.
list of documents you need to have for your visa interview, also tips
My visa Interview:
A: Hi!
B: Hi!
A: How Are you?
B: I am fine, thanks!
A: So what is the purpose of your trip?
B: I am going to do an Exchange as an Au Pair, to improve my English.
A: Where are you going?
B: Falls Church – Virginia
A: Why Falls Church?
B: I actually did not choose the city, the family chose me so I did not have the option to choose where to go.
A: Okay, your visa is approved.
B: Thanks! 🙂
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Join the Au Pair group on Facebook, to follow more about their routine and understand more what is like.
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If you have any questions, feel free to send me, I will be more than happy to help you with your process.
– Debora
Vida de Au Pair! 