Most au pairs in Australia come on a Working Holiday visa (417) or a Work and Holiday visa (462). You live with a host family, look after their kids, and get a room, meals and weekly pay. The normal limit is 6 months with one employer, but au pairs can ask Home Affairs for permission to stay with the same family for up to 12 months. If you are an employee, you are owed at least the minimum wage, which is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026.
Last checked: 7 November 2026
What an au pair does in Australia
An au pair lives with an Australian family and helps with the children: school and daycare runs, after-school care, homework, bath and bed time, and light housework linked to the kids, like their washing and meals. In return you get your own room, your meals, and weekly pay. Most placements are in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and the big coastal towns, and many families want someone who can drive.
Australia has no official au pair visa or au pair program. You come as a working holiday maker, the same as everyone else on TAW, and the au pair job is the work you choose to do.
Which visa you need
| Visa | Who it is for | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday (417) | Passports such as the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, the Nordics, Canada, Japan and Korea | 417 visa guide |
| Work and Holiday (462) | Passports such as the USA, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile and more | 462 visa guide |
Not sure which one is yours? Use our visa checker. Age limits depend on your passport, either 18 to 30 or 18 to 35.
The 6 month rule, and how au pairs get 12 months
Working holiday visas carry condition 8547: you can only work for one employer for 6 months. Au pairs are one of the few groups Home Affairs will give an exception to. Once you have worked 6 months as an au pair for one family, you can ask for permission to stay up to 6 more months with them, so 12 months in total.
- Send the request before your first 6 months end. If you send it late, you have to stop working for the family until you hear back.
- Include a letter of support from your host family.
- Your main job has to be caring for the children. If you are mostly cleaning or working in a family business, it does not count as au pair work.
Pay, hours and your rights
Fair Work looks at the real arrangement, not the job title. If the family sets your hours, tells you what to do and pays you for it, you are very likely an employee. Employees are covered by the Fair Work Act, which means at least the minimum wage, paid leave and the other National Employment Standards.
| From 1 July 2026 | Rate |
|---|---|
| National Minimum Wage | $26.44 an hour, or $1,004.90 for a 38 hour week |
| Casual minimum (with 25% loading) | $33.05 an hour |
A lot of families and some agencies still talk about “pocket money” of a few hundred dollars a week. Research by the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney found most au pairs surveyed were being paid less than the minimum wage. Room and meals are worth real money, but get the deal in writing and know what the law says before you agree to it.
You also need a Tax File Number and an Australian bank account to be paid properly. See super for when your family has to pay super on top.
Get it in writing
There is no standard au pair contract in Australia, so write your own with the family before you start. It should cover:
- Hours each week, which days, and how babysitting nights are counted
- Exactly what the job includes and what it does not (for example, no cleaning the whole house)
- Pay, when it is paid, and how
- Days off, holidays, and what happens on family trips
- Use of the car, phone and wifi, and who pays for fuel
- Notice period if either side wants to end it
Checks and skills families ask for
- Working With Children Check. Each state runs its own (for example NSW, Victoria and Queensland all have different cards). Agencies usually need one and lots of families ask for it. You apply after you land.
- First aid and CPR. A one day course, often with infant CPR, makes you much easier to place.
- Driver licence. Most families want a driver. You can usually drive on your overseas licence as a visitor; read our driving in Australia guide.
- Childcare references. Babysitting, nannying, coaching or camp work back home all count. Put it on your TAW CV.
How to find a host family
- Au pair agencies. They match you, check the family and help if it goes wrong. Some charge the family, some charge you. Ask what you get for the fee.
- Au pair websites. You build a profile and talk to families directly. More choice, but you do your own checks.
- TAW jobs. Families and childcare employers post on TAW jobs, and every job is open to 417 and 462 visa holders.
Always have a video call with the family, talk to their last au pair if you can, and never pay a family to “secure” a placement.
Land first, then meet families in person
Lots of au pairs arrive, stay a few nights in a hostel and meet families face to face. Our Hello Sydney and Hello Melbourne packages give you airport pickup, 3 nights in a social hostel, a city tour and help setting up your bank, TFN and phone.
Red flags
- The family wants you to start working before your visa is granted
- Hours keep going up with no extra pay
- You are cleaning the whole house or working in their business
- They want to hold your passport
- No room of your own
If something is wrong, read our employer disputes guide or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. Visa holders have the same workplace rights as everyone else.
Does au pair work count for a second year visa?
No. Childcare is not on the specified work list, so au pair days do not count toward your 88 days. If you want a second year, plan your farm work or other specified work before or after your placement.
Your mail while you move around
Bank cards, your Working With Children card and licence letters all come by post, and you might not have a fixed address yet. A TAW Mailbox gives you a real Australian address from day one, and we scan your letters so you can read them anywhere.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Is there an au pair visa for Australia?
No. Au pairs come on a Working Holiday visa (417) or a Work and Holiday visa (462). The au pair job is just the work you do on that visa.
How long can I stay with one host family?
6 months to start with. After 6 months as an au pair with the same family, you can ask Home Affairs for permission to stay up to 12 months in total. Send the request before your first 6 months end and include a letter from your family.
How much do au pairs get paid in Australia?
If you are an employee, at least the minimum wage, which is $26.44 an hour from 1 July 2026, or $33.05 an hour as a casual. Many offers are lower and call it pocket money, so check the real hours and get it in writing.
Do I need a Working With Children Check?
Agencies usually require one and many families ask for it. Each state runs its own check, so apply for the one in the state you will live in after you arrive.
Can I be an au pair if I cannot drive?
Yes, but it is harder. Families in the city near good public transport are your best bet. Most suburban families want someone who can drive the kids.
Does au pair work count toward my 88 days?
No. Childcare is not specified work, so it does not count toward a second or third year visa.
Do I pay tax as an au pair?
Yes. Working holiday makers pay 15% on the first $45,000 they earn. You need a Tax File Number so you are not taxed at the higher no-TFN rate.
Can men be au pairs in Australia?
Yes. Fewer male au pairs apply, and plenty of families with active kids are happy to host one.
Sources: Home Affairs: permission to work longer than 6 months, Fair Work Ombudsman: minimum wages, UTS: au pair pay research.
