Country pairs · Destinations & Origins
Becoming an au pair from the UK, US, Australia or Canada
If you are an au-pair candidate from the UK, US, Australia or Canada — or an English-speaking candidate asking honest questions about au pairing in anglophone destinations — the rules depend on your country pair: where you are from and where you go. Age windows, visa need, the exact status and, when it exists, the allowance all depend on that pairing. This hub gathers regional guidance under Destinations & Origins, with values verified and dated.
Frames for the four anglophone markets
The first thing to understand: most anglophone countries have no dedicated “au pair salary”. The UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme, the US J-1 au pair (BridgeUSA) and the Australian / Canadian Working Holiday / IEC schemes are stay and work categories — not a wage rule. Only the US caps childcare by law (10 h/day, 45 h/week; EduCare 10/30). So always read status, hours and allowance separately, by country pair.
United Kingdom
No dedicated au pair visa — the Youth Mobility Scheme is a stay category; where a real work relationship exists, National Minimum Wage rules apply rather than an “au pair allowance”.
United States
As a destination the J-1 au pair (BridgeUSA) caps childcare at 10 h/day / 45 h/week with a sponsor-set weekly stipend — a stay category, not a flat wage.
Australia
No dedicated au pair status — Working Holiday Maker (417) / Work & Holiday (462) govern stays; there is no official au pair childcare cap.
Canada
No dedicated au pair status — the IEC / Working Holiday programme governs stays; care arrangements are private between the au pair and the family.
Per-country-pair sheets — with allowance ranges only when they are verifiable and dated — land in the Destinations & Origins guide set. A mobility scheme never grants childcare rights elsewhere by itself.
Where to continue
- What is an au pair: definition, role and rules — before picking a destination, understand the arrangement.
- How to become an au pair in Europe — the six steps to a host family and verified pocket money by country.
- Au pair visa for France — a key regulated destination for anglophone candidates going abroad.
- Everyday-life guides — for au pairs and their host families.
- An honest comparison of au pair platforms — compare once you know your status, hours and budget.
Hosting a candidate from these markets? See the Host an au pair hub.