Au Pair Info

How to find an awesome family

After a few interviews from hell (which I will probably post at a later time), I met my incredibly awesome French family who I am unbelievably excited to work for.  Finding a family can be difficult, but I tried to give my advice and tips to maybe make it a little easier for anyone out there trying to be an au pair in Paris. So here it is!

When choosing to be an au pair, you can either try to find a family on your own through non-agency websites or use an agency.

There are a lot of au pair services out there, and they are a great option if:

  1. You don't mind paying their fee (which can range from $150-$600)
  2. You're fine with getting matched up with whatever family the agency finds suitable
  3. You feel more safe with working for a family who has been screened by the agency
  4. You are willing to work for the minimum amount that France requires families to pay their au pairs
  5. You don't feel comfortable with doing the all the paperwork by yourself

I, however, chose to find a family on my own using aupairworld.net.  This site was much more professional and, for lack of a better word, legit than other websites I found.  I highly discourage anyone from using easyaupair.com because I received a lot of messages that turned out to be scams, and the website does little to nothing to deter scammers.

Speaking of scams, there are a lot out there targeted toward au pairs.  You are taking a big risk by moving to another country and living with strangers, so be careful and trust any gut feelings you may have.  A piece of advice - if someone offers you an extreme amount of money for very little work, it's probably a scam.  Especially if the "family" lives in England because Americans can't even au pair there. As a general life rule, if anything seems to good to be true, it probably is.  To find out if the "family" that is emailing you are scammers, I always Googled "the family name + au pair scam" before responding to any family.  However, I have never encountered this on aupairworld.

Anyway, I looked for a family for probably about two months, and I probably sent out 100 applications with only a handful of responses.  However, I got a lot more feedback when I mentioned in my intro message that I was going to be in Paris in November.  If you can, I would definitely recommend doing this because it allows you to better know the family and get a better sense if you like them rather than basing your decision solely on emails and Skype conversations.  Also, you get to see your living arrangements and see how you interact with the kids.  Finally, meeting the family in person gives you a HUGE advantage over all the other girls who sent them applications (I never realized how many girls want to be au pairs)!  Fortunately, I was able to go to Paris because when I studied abroad there, I met friends who I could stay with, so it wasn't too expensive.  And hey, I had an excuse to go on vacation, and who doesn't mind that?

Before I get too far, the most important factor in choosing a family is knowing what you want and what you expect.  Where do you want to live? What kind of living arrangements and working hours do you want?  How many kids do you want to watch?  What kind of weekly salary would you like?  What kind of lifestyle do you want?

These are all really important factors that you should know before you choose a family.  In my case, I have already lived in Paris before, so I wanted to be independent and preferably live in my own apartment. If you have never been away from home or feel uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar city, then maybe living with the family would be a better option.  This also factors into what kind of lifestyle you want.  If you live with the family, you're pretty much on call all the time, and I would imagine you might feel strange about going out at night and coming home late.  With a separate apartment, you can have a little more freedom, experience more nightlife, and not have to worry about work once you leave the house.

Fortunately, I  found a family that actually wants me to be very independent and has rented me a seventh floor walk-up studio... right across the street from the Eiffel Tower! It's a very good situation for me (I mean almost no one would pass up on the location) because both the family and I want a similar experience from me being their au pair. When I met them, I instantly felt comfortable and at home, and I fell in love with their daughter right away (so cute and funny).  So that's how I met my awesome family, and I hope this post helped in some way if you're currently searching for one as well.

Tips on Paperwork

After you find your amazing family using my previous post, you will have to start the dreaded French paperwork.  Your family will have to give this paperwork to DIRECCTE (the French employment office) along with some of their own.  

I found the instructions on aupairworld.net to be less than helpful, and don’t even try emailing them to ask questions – they know nothing! Anyway have no fear, because I've done all the dirty work, and I don’t want anyone else to throw things across their room in frustration like I did.
  1. Go to your doctor, and have them fill out your medical form.  I used this one provided by aupairworld. It may take a few days for your doctor to fill this out and give it back to you, so that’s why I recommend doing it first.  Also, you cannot have your doctor fill out this form more than three months before you leave for France, so don’t start too early.
  2. Get your diploma translated as well as your medical form from your doctor.  If you have graduated from college, get that diploma translated as well as your high school diploma.  I used Rev.com because they only charge $27, and they translate it in within 24 hours.  Don’t bother getting it notarized and mailed to you.  It’s a waste of an extra $20 per document, and it takes forever.
  3. Make a copy of your passport. Because I had to scan all of the documents that I sent to the translator, I also printed them out, and sent them to the family - just in case.
  4. Whenever you receive your contract (my family emailed it to me), print out copies, and sign them.  Also read over your contract carefully!
  5. Write a letter of motivation in French.  This does not need to be perfect, so don’t stress yourself out about it.  I wrote about how I love French culture and literature and how I wanted to improve my French.  I also said that I wanted to eventually use French when I have a full-time job.  You get the gist.
  6. The DIRECCTE website does not state that you need these documents, but they requested them when my family went to drop off my paperwork.  You will need a French CV (I used these templates from about.com) as well as a letter from the French school where you will be attending.  I had to pay a deposit ($320), and then they emailed me the confirmation letter that day.  Also, there is a myth out there that your family will have to enroll you in school, and then they will take the deposit out of your first check.  I was able to do everything myself online, so in my experience, this is not true.  However, the process might differ by school.
  7. Mail all of the documents.  I used a USPS flat rate envelope and got expedited shipping, and my family received it in three business days.  However, it cost me $43 dollars.  I think it was worth it because I am trying to move there in a month and a half but if you have a little more time, you can send the documents a bit cheaper.

As you can see, even getting the paperwork isn't cheap.  All said and done, I spent $504 between translating the documents and getting them notarized, shipping them, and paying for the deposit for school. However, I did sign up for two trimesters at school and I wasted $60 getting those documents notarized.

What to expect when you're expecting... a visa.

This post is long overdue since I got mine about two months ago, but I did want to sum up what you should expect when applying and receiving your visa to become an au pair.  This is an overly-detailed description of exactly what you have to do and what to expect when you are getting your au pair visa.  Hopefully, some of you who are currently going through the process or anyone thinking about being an au pair will find it useful.

Since I lived in New Jersey, I had to make my appointment through the French consulate in New York. A few days before I sent my DIRECCT paperwork to the family, I made my appointment online.  You will need your passport number on hand as well as a vague idea of when you will be available.  I cannot speak for all French consulates, but the one in New York only had time slots available from 9 am to 12 pm, so make sure that you can take off of work, don't have an exam that during that time, etc.  After scheduling my appointment, I proceeded to change my appointment a total of three times because I was unsure of when the DIRECCT paperwork would be approved and sent back to me.  This was cautious, but in the end, not necessary because all of the documents had been stamped and given to the family within two weeks. Warning: time slots fill up fast! You probably won't be able to make an appointment earlier than a month in advance, so keep this in mind if you need to reschedule.

Now that you have your appointment, read and reread the list of documents that you are required to bring to the consulate.  In New York you will need:

  1. Your au pair contract + one copy
  2. The letter (or email) confirming the dates that you are enrolled in school + one copy
  3. Your visa application with a recent passport photo attached + one copy
  4. Your passport + one copy of the identity page
  5. Proof of your education status in the US + one copy

Note: just because the website says to bring one copy of each document, I would bring two.  I only brought one and had to make more.  Also, I brought all of the documents that I had sent to be approved by DIRECCT.  I was not asked for any of these papers, but it gave me peace of mind while I was there.

When you fill out the application form, try not to do it the day before like I did.  I was rushed, made mistakes, and had to print it out again... many times. Also, you will have to change the page settings when you print out the application because it is in A4 format (the standard French paper size).  This means that it is a bit longer than the standard letter size in America causing a few questions to be cut off.  I can't describe to you how much this stressed me out nor do I like to admit that I had a small (okay not so small) temper tantrum while trying to figure out how to fix it.  Also, make sure you check off "student" as the type of visa you are applying for - you are not considered an employee by France!  I made this mistake and got yelled at by the disgruntled lady at the consulate.

Okay, so you have double and triple-checked that you have all your documents and that you have filled out your application correctly.  Now it's time to go to the consulate.  Depending on where you live, it may or may not be easy for you to get there.  Either way, make sure you give yourself plenty of time for transportation and finding the consulate as it could be difficult depending on your familiarity with the city.  I am a crazy person and left at 6 in the morning to get to my appointment at 11:30.  Obviously I had a lot of free time beforehand.

When you arrive at the consulate, they will ask you for the confirmation email you received for your appointment.  I was unable to print mine, so they just checked my passport.  You will then be given a number, and when it is called, you will give all of your paperwork to one of the consulate's miserable employees.  This is why it is important to make sure you have completed everything correctly and have all necessary documents: they will be even meaner to you if you don't.  Trust me, I found out the hard way. Maybe only the employees at the New York consulate are this awful, but brace yourself just in case - they're not nice.  Imagine DMV workers times 100.

They will ask you when you plan on leaving, so make sure you know the date of your flight.  I didn't have my flight booked yet, but I knew when I wanted to leave.  Do not give a vague answer, you will only make them angrier.

After you have given them your paperwork, you will be asked to wait again until they call your name (which you will barely be able to understand over the loudspeaker).  At this time, they will give your appointment to come and pick up your visa.  I had thought that they would mail it to me, but no, I had to go all the way back to New York for my appointment which was "anytime between 9 and 10 in the morning."  It's more than annoying, but luckily my lovely mother booked a hotel room for the night before for a friend and I. Also, I had to pick up my visa the day before I was supposed to leave.  Just a little stressful.  

When you pick up your visa, they will give you your OFII paperwork which will be very important for when you arrive in France, so make sure you hold onto it! I will writing a post in the future describing this process.

Luckily, I did not have any problems getting my visa, but I know a lot of girls who had to go back to the consulate several times because they did not provide the required paperwork.  Make sure you have everything, so this does not happen to you!  I'm sure it will save you a lot of anxiety.

I hope this helps some of you sort out how to get your visa and feel free to comment if you have any questions! 

How to renew your au pair visa

So if you've decided that you just love being an au pair and everything that comes with it (free housing and transportation, the opportunity to experience another culture, having a constant and unrelenting headache, etc.), then you are probably thinking about renewing your visa like I did. I'm going to explain how I renewed mine in Paris, but note that the process is different in every city. France doesn't like to make things easy.

First of all, if you are planning on staying more than a year, make sure you've been doing everything right. This means going to school (okay really just paying for school) and going to your OFII appointment. If  you don't know what OFII is, then you fucked up, and you need to get your shit together ASAP. As for school, you will need documentation that you've been going to class and that you've received a grade. The school I went to gave everyone the same grade and attendance for the most part, so you don't have to worry too much if you've missed a few classes.

Okay, so you've been going to your classes and you've already gotten your little OFII sticker, so you're good to go so far. No more than two months before the expiration of your visa, you will need to make an appointment on the prefecture website. If you're in Paris, your appointment will be at Porte de Clignancourt a.k.a. the worst place in the world. I recommend making the earliest appointment possible and getting there before it opens. Student visas all tend to expire around the same time, so you do not want to be stuck there all day.

Because of all the required documents, I would suggest getting them together at least one month before your appointment. You will probably have to harass your French family to give you some of the paperwork, so you may as well start early. Here's the page (click on the link that says "renouvellement d'un titre de sejour etudiant") from the prefecture website of what you will need. I have put together a list in English of what au pairs will specifically need (I will go into detail about some of them after):

  1. Your original birth certificate + one copy
  2. A certified translation of your birth certificate + one copy
  3. Your DIRECCTE contract from the previous year + one copy
  4. Your DIRECCTE contract for the upcoming year + one copy
  5. Proof of housing (given to you by your host family)
  6. Grades/attendance from previous year + one copy
  7. Your "inscription definitive" for the upcoming school year + one copy
  8. Copies of your ID page of your passport, your French visa, and your OFII stamp
  9. 49 euros worth of timbres fiscaux that you can buy from any tabac
  10. Three passport photos
So let me point out that your new DIRRECTE contract does not need to be approved or stamped to go to your initial appointment at the prefecture. They will give you a receipt that will serve as a temporary visa for at least two months after the expiration of the original. After you receive your contract from DIRRECTE, you will then go back and get your fancy laminated Titre de Sejour (oh la la). With this you will feel so fucking French, you'll suddenly want to start protesting something - it's not important what, you just want everyone to know that one of them now, kinda.

For the translation of my birth certificate, I used a woman named Karen King. She only charges 35 euros, but did completely forget to send it to me. She was very nice about it and sent it out the day after I reminded her, but make sure you stay on top of it.

Also, you can take your passport pictures at any metro station in one of those little photo booths. It's only 5 euros for 6 pictures which I think is a pretty good deal considering how expensive it was in the US.

So that's what you'll need to renew your visa. It's not fun, and it can be complicated at times, but hang in there. The actual appointment(s) actually aren't so bad, so don't stress out like I did. Surprisingly everyone was really nice and patient with my broken French.

I feel like I've forgotten something, but I can't think of anything else. All and all, it took about 5 to 6 months for me to renew my visa, and now it's FINALLY over. If you have any questions or corrections, please leave a comment. I will do my best to help you with anything you need!

9 comments:

  1. Your blog is awesome.
    I'm a French major and have about a year left of school, but I'm highly considering moving to Paris after graduation to be an au pair for a little while! Your blog is inspiring me even more!

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  2. Thank you so much!

    It has been a once in a lifetime experience, and I would definitely recommend it! Good luck with your last year of school and becoming an au pair!

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  3. Hi!

    Your blog is amazing. I have just started playing with the idea of possibly applying to be an au pair in Paris. I have just graduated from college and looking for some life-fulfilling experiences during my gap year. I have visited Paris twice before and obviously fell instantly in love with the city and culture. I was previously searching agencies but your post on "finding a family" inspired me to check out aupairwold and it has blown my mind with opportunities that seem legitimate. Do you have any advice for someone like me who is just beginning there search for a placement for Fall 2014?

    again... your blog has already been immensely helpful.. please keep writing :)

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    1. Thank you so much for reading! I wish you the best of luck finding a family and becoming an au pair!

      My biggest advice is to be organized and know what you want out of your experience. If you want to be in Paris, then only look for families in Paris, etc. Otherwise, you might just take the first job you're offered and miss out on a really awesome family.

      Also, stay organized and be persistent! I went on aupairworld everyday, and applied to every family that fit my criteria. Start seriously looking as soon as possible because now is the time when you need to find family. It will take approximately two to three months to get your visa, and most families will want you to start at the beginning of September. As long as you stay organized, it's really not that stressful of an experience, I promise!

      I hope you find a great family, and if you end up working in or around Paris next year, definitely let me know! I'll still be here, so maybe we could meet up!

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    2. Hi Erin!

      Again- your blog... so helpful!! With much excitement I believe I will be committing to working with a lovely family living in the 17th arrondissement starting this September (hope it's an OK area, I've started a little research, haha) by the end of this week!

      Just like you said.. I too, have been updating & checking aupairworld daily and have found what seems to be a perfect fit to my criteria, which I am ecstatic about :) I will be skyping with the family this week- any helpful tips?? Thanks so much!

      Also, if this crazy dream of mine continues to become more of a reality, I would definitely like to try and meet up with you! since you know.. the whole new country, new language, no family... it would be nice :)

      Take care!

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    3. Hi Erin!

      Again... your blog- unbelievably helpful!! Thank you :)

      With much excitement & nerves.. I am happy to say that by the end of this week I believe I will be committed to a family living in the 17th arrondissement (hope this is an OK area.. I've started a little research) with 3 adorable little kids.

      Just like you said- I too, have been updating and checking aupairwold everyday for the past few weeks and am very happy with the families who I have been in contact with. The family I am most likely working with wants to skype this week, any helpful hints for this process??

      Also, if this crazy dream of mine continues to become my reality, I would absolutely love to meet up with you! You know, the whole new country, new language, no family thing- it would be nice :)

      Hope all is well!

      Hannah

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  4. This is by far the most helpful post I've seen on the French au pair visa process so far. I just accepted an offer to work for a family in Le Marais for the next year and we'll be starting the visa process over the next couple of days so it's great to have it outlined by someone who's already done it! I'll definitely be following your blog as I prepare to move over there as well :)

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    1. Thank you so much! Good luck with your move to Paris (you're very lucky that you'll be living in Le Marais)! I'll be au pairing until next July, so maybe we could meet up when you get here.

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  5. That would be awesome! The family lives in the Marais, but I'll actually have my own place in the 17eme. Also, question: which school did you take classes with? That price is way cheaper than the school I'm currently looking at, and the more money I can save on that, the better, haha.

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