Top Notch Nannies

What is an au pair placement?

An au pair placement is an arrangement where a single person between 17 and 27 years of age comes to the United Kingdom (UK) to learn English and:

• Lives for up to two years as a member of an English-speaking family, with appropriate opportunities for study
• Helps in the home for up to five hours a day with at least two full days off a week, in return for a reasonable allowance and their own room

How do I qualify to travel to the UK as an au pair?
You must show that you want to come to the UK on an au pair placement and that you:

• are not married
• have no dependants
• can support and accommodate yourself without help from public funds

Which countries are included in the au pair scheme?
People from all nationalities are welcome to apply to be an au pair, providing they are either an EU citizen or hold a visa which allows them to work in the UK for a minimum of one year.

Do I need a visa as an au pair?
Any foreign national whose home country is not a member of the EU must first acquire a visa.

What is a visa?
A visa is an entry clearance certificate that is placed in your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The entry clearance certificate confers leave to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa you will not normally be refused entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or you failed to disclose important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may question you, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.

How do I apply for a visa?
You will need to complete a visa application form IM2A. You can get a form from your nearest UK Overseas Mission where there is a visa section or from www.ukvisas.gov.uk. You should check with your nearest British mission whether they can deal with your application. If they cannot they will tell you where to apply.

What will I need to make my application?
You will need:

• a completed: Application form VAF1 – Non-settlement form from 1 August 2003 (PDF, 140K)
• a valid passport or travel document
• two recent passport sized photographs
• the visa fee, which is non-refundable, and must normally be paid in the local currency of the country where you are applying
• a letter of introduction from the host family

The Entry Clearance Officer may then be able to decide your application without further enquiries. However, you might have to attend for interview.
In addition to the documents listed above you may be asked for:

• evidence of your financial standing and funds
• evidence of any firm travel plans you have made, such as your ticket or a letter from a travel agent confirming that the cost of your ticket has been deposited

Applications may be made to the Visa Section of a British mission in person or, in some instances, by post. To ensure that your visa gives you the maximum time that is allowed in the UK, you should tell the Entry Clearance Officer the date that you intend to travel to the UK.

What will happen when I make my application?
The Entry Clearance Officer will check that he or she has all the information that is needed to make a decision. If more information is required you may be asked to return with additional information before your application is accepted.
If the Entry Clearance Officer considers that you do not have enough evidence to support your application, or that you do not qualify for a visa, he or she may offer you the opportunity to withdraw your application before you pay the non-refundable fee. You do not have to accept this advice. If you wish to continue with your application it will be accepted and you will be issued with a receipt for your fee.

What are public funds?
The Immigration Rules require that people who wish to travel to the UK as an au pair are able to support and accommodate themselves without claiming certain state benefits.

Can I move to another host family?
You may move to another family as long as the new arrangements continue to meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Can I apply to extend my stay as an au pair?
You can apply to extend your stay as an au pair if:

• you were given permission to enter the UK as an au pair
• you have an au pair placement
• an extension would not take your stay beyond two years from the date you first arrived in the UK

FURTHER ADVICE AND INFORMATION
You can get further advice and guidance about visas from:

UKvisas
LONDON SW1A 2AH
General enquiries: (+44) (0)20 7008 8438
Application forms: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
E-mail: Visas.ForUK@fco.gov.uk

Also check out their website at www.fco.gov.uk