Au Pair Program Federal Regulations

The au pair program is regulated by the U.S. Department of State and Agent Au Pair, as one of their designated program sponsor. The only legal way to be an au pair in the United States is with a designated sponsor on a J-1 Visa. Agent Au Pair enforces the au pair program rules to help protect au pairs and host families during their program.

Agent Au Pair will:

  • Provide au pairs with a minimum of 24 hours of child development instruction before being placed in an American home, with at least four of which must relate to children under two years of age
  • Provide au pairs with a minimum of 8 hours of training in child development and child safety, with at least 4 hours that focuses on infant safety
  • Ensure that each host family be assigned to a Local Coordinator (LC) who lives within a one-hour drive
  • Require LCs to conduct an orientation with each host family and au pair within 14 days of an au pair’s arrival
  • Require LCs to maintain monthly personal contact with host families and au pairs

The Host Family will:

  • Provide their au pair with a private bedroom, meals and a minimum weekly stipend of at least $195.75 (calculated based on federal minimum wage & subject to change).
  • Guarantee your au pair’s working no more than 45 hours per week and no more than 10 hours in one day.
  • Give your au pair 1.5 days off per week, at least 1 full weekend off each month and 2 weeks of paid vacation
  • Contribute up to $500 toward the cost of their au pair’s completion of their educational requirement.
  • Limit your au pair’s household responsibilities to those related to the care of the children
  • Arrange a parent or responsible adult to remain at home with their au pair for the first three days after arrival
  • Ensure that another adult is home with their au pair at all times if the family has an infant under the age of 3 months.
  • Facilitate transportation for their au pair to attend monthly meetings with their LC as well as educational classes.

To view the U.S. Department of State Website, please click here.
For full details of U.S. Department of State Program Guidelines, please click here.