Frequently asked questions

An Au Pair is a young person from abroad with no children and between the ages of 18 and 35. He or she goes abroad for a certain amount of time to live and work with a host family. An Au Pair is included in the family and helps the host family with child and home-related tasks. Au Pairs also live with their host family and share daily life experiences such as meal time and local excursions. An Au Pair's time with the family is considered a cultural exchange and receives weekly pocket money in addition to accommodation, meals, and many other inclusions.

Premier Au Pair is a stress-free, safe, and secure recruitment process that saves you time and money. Once you have completed your profile and chosen your membership option, you can then start searching for an Au Pair that suits your requirements. Once you have found an Au Pair that you would like to get to know better you can add them to your shortlist. Once notified about this potential match the Au Pair can agree to commence communication via our Premier Au Pair chat. We strongly suggest that you get to know your potential candidates via our chat platform before moving on to other social media platforms.

We offer different membership options. Please check our Pricing page for details.

An Au Pair will offer assistance with childcare and child-related tasks in the home. An Au Pair can also support light cleaning in the home. Au Pairs are a valuable asset to any family and they can be counted on to take on additional tasks such as: driving children to and from school and activities, meal and snack preparation, children's laundry, assisting and supervising children in keeping their rooms tidy, and homework help. Every family is different and so are their needs. Always remember to communicate clearly what you expect your Au Pair to do without overstepping boundaries.

The costs involved with hosting an Au Pair differ greatly from family to family. The biggest expense is the Au Pair's pocket money per week. In Australia, it can be anywhere from $100 (for demi-pair hours - 15-20 hours a week) up to $300 (for regular hours - 25-30 hours). The amount of pocket money you pay is dependent on how many hours the Au Pair does per week and their experience level. It is also a good idea to consider other expenses such as room and board, car insurance, increased utility bills for an extra adult, and invitations for meals out and activities. The costs of having an Au Pair are generally outweighed by the fact you have someone at home who is dedicated and invested in caring for your children.

Please contact our support team with details of your payment. We will verify it with our payment provider and activate your membership manually. This can occur if the connection between the payment provider and our system fails at the moment of purchase.

This can occasionally happen if the connection to the payment provider fails at exactly the wrong moment. Please contact our support team and we will verify the duplicate payment and arrange a refund. We may also extend your membership as a small apology for the inconvenience.

This can vary depending on various factors. The Au Pairs registered on Premier Au Pair are either already established in Australia or are overseas and planning their arrival. Most Au Pairs who are in Australia already are generally searching for a family to start within a matter of weeks, whereas Au Pairs overseas might be still 3-6 months out from arrival. We have families that shortlist, connect and confirm with an Au Pair within a week, and then there are others that take 2-3 months to secure the right match. Our advice? Always plan ahead!

The matching score shows how well an Au Pair's profile aligns with your requirements, based on a comparison of your data and theirs. A higher score means a potentially better fit. In practice, there are rarely hard deal-breakers — an Au Pair outside your preferred state or without a local licence may still be an excellent match if everything else lines up well. You can sort results by score or date, and use the Advanced Filters to further refine your search.

In the message overview, you will see an icon next to each message recipient. A grey arrow means the message has been delivered but not yet opened. Double green ticks mean the Au Pair has opened and read your message.

No. During your active membership, you can contact as many Au Pairs as you like through the platform chat.

Go to your Position Details and set the status to 'Filled role with Premier Au Pair'. Your profile will no longer appear in Au Pair searches, but it can be reactivated at any time in the future if you need to search again.

The sample contract is available for download in the member area at www.premieraupair.org/AuPairContract. You will need an active membership to access it.

Our platform www.premieraupair.com is not an agency but an online provider connecting Au Pairs and Host Families.

Initially we had a free trial for new families which registered in the first weeks. At the moment, we do not offer a free trial.

At Premier Au Pair we understand that knowing which nationalities are able to obtain a working holiday visa (WHV) is hard work. This is why when an Au Pair joins our platform, only countries that are eligible are able to register. All Au Pairs using Premier Au Pair must be on either a WHV (subclass 417 or 462) or a student visa. There is no need for complicated sponsorship requirements and generally the process is very quick. Take the time to read about the different visas at www.immi.gov.au.

Au Pairs are often from countries where their native language is not English. The Au Pair program is beneficial in helping Au Pairs learn and improve their English language skills in a safe and welcoming environment. Some speak basic English whilst others are fluent or even native speakers. You can select your preferences regarding their language ability on our platform. A video interview with candidates is the best way to assess their English ability.

Some host families in regional areas do offer this arrangement. If it is important to you, check individual Au Pair profiles and ask candidates directly. Families that offer it will usually mention it in their profile.

You cannot compare the number of available Au Pairs on our site with those from our competitors. In contrast to the latter, we only allow Au Pairs who a) are focused on Australia as their destination country and b) have a realistic chance to get a visa. That means our pool will always be smaller in number, but much higher in quality. We believe that quality is more important than quantity. In addition, we are a growing service and the number of highly qualified Au Pairs increases every day.

We believe that stability within the family home goes a long way and recommend that the host family shares their schedule at least a week in advance or even more. This will create clarity around the family's routine and expectations. It also allows your Au Pair to plan their life outside of their Au Pair duties. Of course, life is often unpredictable. Last-minute requests and changes are part of life. The best thing to do is clearly communicate these changes with your Au Pair and try to compromise.

If you and your family decide to take time off or have a holiday you must still pay your Au Pair their weekly pocket money. This payment is required regardless of whether your Au Pair accompanies your family. Please discuss directly with your Au Pair holiday duties, timetables, and any extra benefits or allowances that he or she may require.

Au Pairs are generally fit and healthy. There are no official guidelines as this is a cultural exchange and not employment. It is our advice that an Au Pair must be given their standard weekly pocket money for occasional sick days. However, if it is a regular occurrence and you as a host family are having to use backup care or take time off work, you might like to stipulate that the first day of any sick period is paid and the rest is not.

We recommend no more than 35-40 hours. However, due to shift work, lifestyle rosters, and unpredictable weeks these hours can go up. This should be well communicated to your Au Pair and agreed upon before you expect any extra hours. Your Au Pair will also expect additional remuneration paid at an hourly rate or time off in lieu. Au Pairs are generally friendly and flexible.

If your Au Pair has a full and clean driving licence from the UK or an EEA country, he or she is permitted to drive in Australia. Your Au Pair should organise an international driving permit prior to arriving in Australia. Many families require their Au Pair to drive for school runs or sports activities. Consider booking driving lessons or assessing their ability yourself. The host family is responsible for appropriate insurance and should cover all car costs. Some host families in regional or rural locations should consider providing their Au Pair with a car for personal use.

As a host family, we suggest you add your Au Pair to your home insurance policy and car insurance. All Au Pairs should organise travel insurance including medical, repatriation, and liability. You should ask your Au Pair for a copy of their insurance once they have agreed to join your family.

Although the Au Pair program is known internationally as a cultural exchange program, there is no official program in Australia. We recommend that you seek independent advice regarding Australian tax and Superannuation requirements. For more information see the Australian Tax Office website at www.ato.gov.au.

Yes, an Au Pair can be male or female. Premier Au Pair is a platform open to all genders.

The Au Pair program requires the sharing of space at home and also the creation of memories. Due to the way the program is set up with room, board, and pocket money, it may only be suitable for one family to host one Au Pair. However, if your Au Pair wishes to babysit, housesit, walk pets or offer cleaning services to friends and family this is widely accepted. Clear expectations, an hourly rate, and communication should be agreed upon before they commence.

In general Au Pairs are not qualified nannies. An Au Pair comes on a cultural exchange program and with a working holiday visa, whilst nannies are generally local and live in their own accommodation. Nannies (due to their experience and qualifications) are usually paid per hour and are not considered part of the family but as an employee. They are also required to pay tax in Australia and as their employer, you will also have superannuation obligations.

Pay attention to the following most common signs to help you identify scammers: the candidate asks you to transfer money through MoneyGram, Western Union, or to set up a deposit account; a lawyer or agency has contacted you on their behalf and sent you a visa application or sample contract; the candidate has asked that you pay for their flight to and from Australia; they come from a country that is not eligible for a working holiday maker visa (subclass 417 or 462). If you think the person you are communicating with is suspicious, please report their profile.

An Au Pair is a fantastic extra set of hands when a host family has a child under two, especially if there are older children at home too. We do not recommend or endorse an Au Pair to provide sole-charge care for a child under two. This is due to the fact that the average Au Pair is not experienced enough and it is simply too much responsibility. However, if you find a candidate with extensive experience and qualifications with this age group you could consider sole-charge care, with ample training time beforehand. This is up to the discretion of the host family.

A demi-pair can help with childcare up to 15-20 hours per week, usually to fit around their student schedules or primary casual job. School holiday care hours can be longer if agreed. The demi-pair program contains the same duties as the Au Pair program, with fewer weekly hours. Pocket money is between $100-$150 a week depending on hours and experience. Host family obligations are the same as the Au Pair program in regards to board and utilities.

Many families like the idea of first aid training, however many Au Pairs do not have it or need a refresher course. We recommend that host families book a local course for their Au Pair or ask them to complete one before they arrive.

Although your Au Pair should be making new friends in Australia, they will want to keep in touch with family and loved ones back home. It is vital that your home is equipped with WiFi and that the Au Pair has 24/7 access. This helps with homesickness too. If they require access outside the home they should find a mobile phone plan that has unlimited data. If you live in an area where WiFi or internet is not reliable you should communicate this with your Au Pair at interview stage.

We strongly recommend that all Au Pairs pay for their own flights, visa applications, and travel insurance. Host families are not under any obligation to contribute to these costs.

Even with the best planning and support, occasionally things do not work out. Communication, patience, and support are required for a successful Au Pair placement. Generally speaking, when issues are not addressed people feel confused and unappreciated. If you cannot work things out it is best to leave things on good terms and move on. Nobody wants an unhappy home life. We have many interesting resources on our Instagram account and blog that can help with cementing a positive relationship with your Au Pair.

We've successfully connected numerous au pairs, even in remote areas. In fact, many European au pairs seem to prefer more secluded locations, seeking an authentic Australian experience. Therefore, we encourage you to register and actively highlight the uniqueness of your remote location.

We are not an agency but an online platform that allows you to filter your results to match your current placement. We have many Au Pairs online that are currently seeking a placement. You need to register as a family and pay for your membership if you have not done so already. If you are already with an agency and prefer this model we can recommend another agency to use that has excellent results.