You want to try the Au Pair experience in a foreign country, but you have not yet decided which one, Australia has many arguments to convince you.
The role of the Au Pair is the same in all countries. You look after the children of an often native family and do some household chores. In exchange for what you are housed and earn pocket money for your daily expenses or to finance your trips.
To go as an Au Pair to Australia you must have a working holiday visa. This visa allows you, among other things, to work for an Australian employer, but also to travel within the country and the surrounding countries since you can leave and enter the country as many times as you wish for 1 year.
You can take the opportunity to discover Asia since the flights are cheaper than from Europe. For example, you can find return tickets Melbourne-Hanoi for 300 €.
Au Pair contracts in Australia:
Since Au Pair assignments are not directly regulated by the Australian government, there is no law requiring you to establish a contract with your family. However, it is preferable to sign one because this allows you to explicitly determine your missions and working conditions with your employer. You can find employment contract templates on the Internet to modify as you see fit.
With your working holiday visa you are not supposed to work for more than 6 months for the same employer. However, it is possible to apply to extend the contract with your Australian host family. This request is made to the Immigration Service. This possibility exists because many host families prefer to find an Au Pair for more than 6 months. Indeed, this allows them to space out the recruitment process of their next Au Pair, a process which generally takes 1 month. But also to allow their children to have time to adapt to their Au Pair and that their habits are not too upset.
In case of difficulty with your host family, please be aware that there is no notice period in Australia. In theory, you can therefore stop working overnight. However, it is best to give yourself a few days to find a fallback solution.
Au Pair in Australia, a learning experience:
By moving to Australia, you will have the opportunity to become bilingual in English by working with a native family. The children will speak with you in their native language. You will thus master the vocabulary of everyday life and learn to explain things in English. This learning can be reciprocal. You can teach them a few words of French according to the parents' request and your ease with learning.
In addition, the country offers an exceptional living environment with landscapes that are worth seeing. In particular, you will be able to learn to surf on paradisiacal beaches!
Pocket money as an Au Pair in Australia:
As an Au Pair in Australia, you will be paid at minimum wage. From this salary are deducted the costs corresponding to your accommodation and meals. The price of your board is set at $ 350. On average, Au Pairs earn $ 200 for a 30 hour week.
You will be taxed on the pocket money you earn while working in Australia. Up to $ 37,000 you are taxed at 15% on your remuneration.
The cost of living in Australia is slightly lower than in France if we do not take into account the rents which are themselves 35% higher than in France. Being in Australia as an Au Pair is therefore a big advantage because you can remove accommodation from your expenses.
The working week of an Au Pair in Australia:
With a working holiday visa, you must comply with Australian labor laws just like in a regular job. We find the following rules in particular:
1. Working hours: Australians have work contracts of 38 hours per week. However, it is possible to add a few extra hours to reach 40 hours per week. On average, Au Pairs in Australia work between 25 and 40 hours per week.
2. Rest and holidays: The legislation does not impose days of leave. You must therefore define them with your family and include it in your employment contract. It is strongly recommended that you plan a day off during the week, including 1 Sunday per month. This will allow you to breathe, but also to enjoy the riches of Australia.
Also consider discussing the number of days off you can request. This will allow you to be able to plan your trips in advance, but also not to generate conflicts when you want to take a few days.
3. Au Pair tasks: Your employment contract will also define your missions as an Au Pair. If you are there mainly to take care of the daily life of the children, you will also have to do some household chores. During the whole period with your host family you will become like a new member of the family.
You will rub shoulders with the family on a daily basis, share meals with them as well as moments of conviviality. It is therefore normal that you participate in the daily life of the house by emptying the dishwasher, preparing meals or taking care of shopping.
Translated from etudionsaletranger dot fr
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