Each year, many young people travel to Australia to work as an au pair during their gap year or summer holidays. The maximum duration of stay for both the eVisitor visa and the ETA Australia is three months. Both visa variants are therefore suitable for short stays. However, to work as an au pair, you need a WHVA.
Advantages of working as an au pair in Australia
Make international contacts, experience the daily life of another culture, admire the beautiful landscape with your own eyes and earn money at the same time? As an au pair in Australia, this is all possible. Another advantage of working as an au pair in Australia is the possibility for young non-English people to improve their English and become more independent. Australian host families benefit as well: the parents can go to work while their children and household are taken care of. The work of an au pair mainly consists of babysitting, but sometimes the children need to be helped with their homework, or other household tasks are performed (such as cooking or washing clothes).
In order to become an au pair in Australia, being available for one month is often already sufficient. However, there are also au pairs who cannot get enough of the experience and decide to work as an au pair for several families for two years. Travellers are allowed to work in Australia for a maximum of six months for the same employer. Almost anybody between 18 and 30 years of age can become an au pair. However, most organisations require a proven experience with children, often of about 200 hours. Furthermore, it is assumed that the applicant has basic knowledge of English in order to be able to communicate with the family and help the children with their homework. During the application process, which usually takes several weeks, the au pair and the host family are checked for compatibility before departure.
A trip to neighbouring New Zealand
After working as an au pair in Australia, you can use the money you earned to visit beautiful New Zealand. New Zealand consists of the North Island, the South Island and several small islands. Like Australia, the country has breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.
With the New Zealand visa (NZeTA), it is possible to stay in New Zealand for up to three months and then fly back home. New Zealand also has many possibilities to earn money as an au pair, but an NZeTA does not suffice for this.
With a forty-hour contract, you will have little free time left over, but a ten to thirty hour contract will give you more than enough time to relax on the beaches of Auckland after work, take a walk through the national parks or visit one of the many highlights of the country. An NZeTA is not sufficient if you want to work as an au pair in New Zealand, but it is suitable if you want to visit this beautiful country as a tourist after your work in Australia.
Australia visa
The Australia visa that can be applied for online (the eVisitor Australia and the ETA Australia) are not sufficient for journeys lasting longer than three months or for journeys involving paid work in Australia, even if the stay is shorter than three months. Travellers who intend to stay in Australia for more than three months or to work there as an au pair can apply for a Working Holiday Visa Australia or a Work And Holiday visa, depending on their nationality.
New Zealand visa (NZeTA)
If you also plan to visit New Zealand, an NZeTA visa is also required. This is an electronic travel authorisation that is required to travel to New Zealand. An NZeTA can be applied for in a matter of minutes from the comfort of your home via this website. Once granted, the NZeTA is linked to the passport and travellers must therefore be in possession of a valid passport. This passport must still be valid for three months after departure from New Zealand. The NZeTA also has a maximum stay of three months and is not suitable for people who want to work in New Zealand as an au pair.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Australia is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Australia.