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Last Updated 13th August 2026
Got childcare experience? If you’re aged 18 to 26, you could be eligible to live and work in America for an entire year.
In exchange for helping out a US-based family, you’ll get access to free accommodation, meals and return flights. Plus, financial benefits and once-in-a-lifetime travel perks.
As a UK applicant, you’re highly in demand. We're here to help you find the route in. Let’s unpack our most frequently asked questions about this huge opportunity below.
An Au Pair is someone who lives with a host family abroad and helps out with childcare in exchange for accommodation, meals and a salary.
You’ll become integrated into the host family’s daily life. As an Au Pair, you’ll have clearly defined, contracted activities related to childcare. This could be getting the kids ready for school, driving them to after-school activities, and helping out with homework.
Au Pair activities are usually agreed upon between the host family, the agency and the individual. You won’t be expected to help out with non-childcare activities.
Au Pairs work a legal maximum of 45 hours per week, with clearly defined working hours and childcare duties.
Au Pairing in the USA is one of the most rewarding paid work abroad opportunities out there.
Your accommodation and meals are completely free for an entire year, as well as your return flights to the USA. Trust us, that’s not something you should be underestimating. What it really means is that in theory you can save most of your salary towards fun things: like coffee dates with your Au Pair besties (more on that later), gym memberships, or our personal favourite, future travels.
If you successfully complete your Au Pair placement after 12 months, you unlock an optional 30 days extra, which is just for travelling around America. That means iconic road trips, bucket list cities and national parks, or maybe even beach-hopping in Hawaii. You’ve earned it!
Living here has really allowed me to grow and learn a lot of things about myself. I have done things that I would have never expected to experience when planning to come.
Now that you know the huge advantages to Au Pairing in the USA, you’re probably wondering what your daily routine will look like.
Every Au Pair’s daily routine can look different, depending on what your hobbies are like or if there are any childcare activities you want to specialise in.
Still, you’ll usually start the day by getting the children ready for school, including their breakfasts and packed lunches, before driving to drop them off. You’ll have a free morning to relax and enjoy time to yourself, whether that’s going to the gym, attending a pilates or yoga class, or even just exploring your local area.
Once a week, you’ll attend an hour-long class of your choice and earn credits toward your J-1 visa qualification. So you may also wish to visit your local library and do some extra reading or studying during the weekday.
Whilst the children are at school, this can also be a good opportunity to clean up after the children’s play and bedroom area. After picking them up from school, you could spend your afternoon playing with the kids, helping out with their homework, driving them to after-school activities, or taking them to the park.
After enjoying dinner with your host family, your last childcare activity of the day is usually getting the kids ready for bed, and maybe reading them a bedtime story.
Our Au Pairing in the USA programme is open to those who meet the following requirements.
Want to chat with someone and check if you meet the eligibility criteria? We offer free, personalised travel advice. Visit our Contact Us page and choose how you’d like to get in touch, or get the conversation started on Live Chat now.
300 hours of childcare is an eligibility requirement to work as an Au Pair in the USA. So long as it is non-family related, your experience could involve babysitting, assistant teaching, camp counselling, tutoring, daycare, or sports coaching.
You will need to provide three references for your childcare experience to qualify for this programme. To care for children under the age of two, at least 200 of these hours must be with children under two.
Putting this into context: 300 hours roughly equals 12 hours per week over six months. Or 25 hours per week, and you’ll meet the requirement within three months.
A common misconception around Au Pairing is that the selection process is random. When actually, there are interviews involved, adapted to your preferences, and any matches are only finalised if the family and au pair mutually agree that it’s a good fit.
My host parents are really nice and care about me.
We’re extremely proud of our Au Pair partnership. Our US partners provide exceptional, personalised support and exclusive benefits that shape an Au Pair’s journey. The safety and wellbeing of their Au Pairs and host families are at the heart of every decision.
Exclusive to our partners! Our two-day orientation is your chance to join fun workshop activities (like vision-board making), ask our support team any questions and connect with other Au Pairs as you explore New York City together.
You’ll even get to enjoy a full-day sightseeing tour around NYC, ticking off iconic sights like Times Square, Central Park and more!
Hang out with your new Au Pair friends every month! Our monthly socials are hosted within local areas, so you can form close bonds and make exciting memories together.
Popular social events in the past have included:
Thanksgiving was a special day for me and my Host Family! It was a beautiful day, I felt like part of your family! We were at the girls' Granny's house and as is tradition we ate turkey and wine and a lot of food! It was my first Thanksgiving here and I'm happy!
As part of your J-1 visa, you also have the opportunity to study abroad in America! This works out to be one hour of classes per week. The visa requirement is 60 total hours, or six credits at a recognised US educational institution.
Your local coordinator will show you a list of the courses to choose from. Subjects like English, photography and marketing are popular and often available.
You will receive $500 total to cover these classes. This may be the full cost or the partial cost depending on your chosen course. Any personal contributions should not typically exceed $200.
Feeling inspired? We’re so excited for you as you take this next step, so let’s chat over your options.
If you have any further questions about Au Pairing in the USA, or want to double-check that you match the eligibility criteria, let us know. Free Travel Advice is available to you all. No hidden costs, no pressure to book. Just a friendly chat with a real human expert, with advice tailored completely to you.
Ready to apply? All you have to do is place your £99 deposit, then the application process starts from there. You’ll submit your required documents and references through our online approval portal. Then if it gets approved, we’ll chat in person at our Tunbridge Wells office.
12 months
Work & travel in the USA
Your booking deposit is just £99. You will only be expected to pay the full programme cost once matching with a host family has been confirmed after a successful application and interview process. For further details, please refer to our Work as an Au Pair in the USA programme.
As partners of AuPairCare, we provide specialised support specifically intended for UK applicants. You’ll talk to a trained expert who is here for you at every stage. As one of our Au Pairs, you can even get a discount on our USA trips. Contact a travel advisor for more details.
Yes! Our Au Pairs earn at least $215 per week, at minimum through our programme. This makes a huge difference in the long-run - compared to the federal minimum wage, which is $195.75 per week.
You must be between the ages of 18 and 26 at the time of travel.
The best way to find out is to get in touch with us. If you need to build up more childcare hours to qualify, our Au Pair specialist will let you know and guide you step-by-step on how you can fulfil this eligibility requirement.
All over the country! Popular locations on our Au Pair programme include New York, California, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.
The J-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States, specifically intended for approved work, study and cultural exchange. Our Au Pair programme is visa-sponsored.
After your host family match is confirmed and your full trip fee has been paid. We will assist you with the application process, and our partners will issue your visa invitation letter. Then you will book and attend an in-person visa appointment at the US Embassy in London.
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