Working as an Au Pair in Australia

Would you like to? Then follow this super guide and discover how easy it is to work as an Au Pair in Australia.

What are the requirements to work as an Au Pair in Australia?

Let’s go over the most important requirements to be an Au Pair in Australia:

First of all: you must like children, and if you have experience taking care of them, even better.
Have a minimum level of English that allows you to communicate with the family.
You will most likely need a driver’s license (in most cities, cars are heavily used for everyday life).
Come to Australia with a visa that allows you to work.
Have the Blue Card or criminal record certificate (Working with Children Check), whose application process varies depending on the state.
Parents may establish other requirements, but these are the most important ones.
They may require you to stay for a minimum period of time.

Advantages and disadvantages of working as an Au Pair in Australia

Like everything in life, working as an Au Pair in Australia has its advantages and disadvantages. There are surely more of both, but these are the main ones for us (some are both advantages and disadvantages at the same time, again… just like life itself).

Advantages

You will practice English all day long, and children make it very easy.
You will immerse yourself 100% in the culture. You will get to know the Aussie idiosyncrasy.
You will not have to pay for accommodation or food, everything will be included.

Disadvantages

You will have less privacy than living on your own.
Family homes are usually located on the outskirts of cities.
In a way, you will have to adapt to the family’s routine.

What is the best visa to work as an Au Pair in Australia?

There are two types of visas that allow you to work as an Au Pair in Australia:

Student visa

This visa is very easy to obtain since the only important requirement is that you are enrolled in a course (it can be VET, English, etc.) during your stay in Australia. This way, you will be able to study and work part-time (24 hours/week) during study periods and full-time (48 hours/week) during holidays.

Here you have all the information about the student visa. Keep in mind that if you come with this visa, you will be able to work with the same family during your entire stay in Australia.

There is no age limit, minimum English level, or maximum quota of visas offered by Australia, unlike the next visa we are going to talk about. If you want us to help you manage this visa and choose and enroll in your ideal course, do not hesitate to contact us, we can help you with everything.

Work and Holiday visa

This is a very well-known visa that allows you to work and travel in Australia for one year. You need to meet quite a few requirements to obtain it, and the government establishes a maximum quota of visas offered per country. For this reason, many people miss out every year, even if they meet all the requirements.

Here you have all the information about the W&H visa. To work with the same family for more than six months, you will need to request permission from immigration.

I want to study in Australia!

How to get a job as an Au Pair in Australia?

It is not difficult at all to get a job as an Au Pair in Australia, let’s go over the steps:

Steps to follow if you are already in Australia

Look for work as you would in any other sector: through agencies and job offer websites, acquaintances, etc.
There are also Facebook groups where families post when they need an Au Pair. For example, this is the one for Gold Coast and Brisbane, but there are groups for many cities, look for one in yours.
Obtain the Blue Card or the Working with Children Check. Normally, you will be able to start working while the certificates are being processed.

If you are not in Australia yet

You have probably seen that there are websites that connect families with Au Pairs before arriving in Australia. This way, the person comes to Australia with the family, the place where they will live, etc. already arranged in advance.

It is good because when you arrive here you will not have to look for work, however, keep in mind that you will have to make an important decision without knowing the place where you are going to live, talking to the family face to face, etc.

For this reason, we recommend that you look for a family once you are here. You will have greater decision-making capacity, and you will be able to choose the family and place of residence that connect with you.

In addition, if you come with us, we will welcome you as soon as you arrive, so at no point will you feel alone or lost, we will be here to help you with everything.

Use our job search engine!

And find work in Australia

The job search engine in Australia is your best companion to find work while you study in the country. With opportunities adapted to international students, you will be able to take your first professional steps in the country and grow professionally. Find the job that suits you!

Looking for a job in Australia

Tips for working as an Au Pair in Australia

When you meet with your family, clarify all your doubts politely but without fear. It is better to talk things through in time than to suffer later because of misunderstandings.
If you meet a family but for whatever reason you are not convinced, do not hesitate to wait a little and meet others, you are going to live together, therefore you need to feel a certain connection.
The best times to find work as an Au Pair are those that coincide with the return to school: August and September or January and February.
Get in touch with other people who are working as Au Pairs in Australia, they may be able to give you references for some families.

Do you think it sounds good and would you like to come to Australia to work as an Au Pair? Then contact us, because that way you will be a little closer to achieving your dream.

Frequently asked questions

Au pair in Australia for Colombians

As we mentioned a little further above, there are two types of visas that allow you to live in Australia and work as an Au Pair: the student visa and the Work & Holiday visa.

What are you waiting for to become an Au Pair in Australia? Write to us!

Au Pair in Australia for Colombians

If you are from Colombia and you are thinking about coming to Australia to work as an Au Pair, do not hesitate to write to us. We will advise you free of charge and in a personalized way so that you can start packing your suitcase as soon as possible.

I want to be an Au Pair in Australia!

Other unskilled jobs

Unskilled jobs are all those for which you do not need to have specific academic training. In addition, they do not usually require a high level of English, the best-known unskilled jobs are: