19 year old Au Pair for 1 month

Claremont

honestly? Just a short term holiday informal arrangement- no worries.

I'm not sure about informal arrangements which involve young children.

I've done this when I was a teenager but that was aeons ago, both in this country and abroad.
When I say 'done this' I mean au pairing on an informal basis.

Years ago we had several French exchange students, they would have been 15-16 at the time, our daughters were the same age. They weren’t a great success and the option to return wasn’t taken up.

I think the helping with children is also problematic.

Why does she want this?
Just trying to understand.

Claremont

So no payment officially- nothing stops the family from taking her on nice outings, pay for meals and give her a bit of pocket money hand to hand. Would be illegal for longer period, but fine for holiday stay.

No honestly Claremont, you might think it’s ridiculous but the rules are very clearly set out on Government websites.

The length of stay is not the determining factor. Nor is the amount or type of ‘help” given. The crucial factor is whether the “guest’ receives anything other than bed and board than could be determined to be pay - in which case they would be deemed to be working.

Pocket money could cover a whole range of payment so s not allowed. An occasional meal out with the family would be permitted, an outing would need to be as part of the family. Tickets for her to attend a concert independently for instance, would be deemed payment in kind. Gifts if any kind, jewellery, clothes would be regarded as payment.

As I’ve said, people do bend the rules and have a good chance of not being found out till something goes wrong. An accident, a chance word, a disagreement.

The OP may or may not decide to take that chance but please don’t continue to tell her that pocket money and other benefits are perfectly k.

honestly? Just a short term holiday informal arrangement- no worries.

I agree Lathyrus. It’s fraught with problems and if I were the OP I would say to the friend that legally it’s far too complicated. Once the friend is here the OP has no control over what she does or what money or benefits in lieu she accepts (if she can find any work without a DBS check) and the OP could easily end up in trouble. If the friend has had trouble finding a suitable arrangement that’s for a reason. No friendship is worth the risks the OP is being asked to take.

So no payment officially- nothing stops the family from taking her on nice outings, pay for meals and give her a bit of pocket money hand to hand. Would be illegal for longer period, but fine for holiday stay.

Claremont

Exactly, it has to be very short time, as here, 1 month- pocket money only, and be a private 'friend of the family' guest/invite.

No pocket money. No payment of any kind!

Please stop giving the OP information that could get her into serious trouble.

Exactly, it has to be very short time, as here, 1 month- pocket money only, and be a private 'friend of the family' guest/invite.

You have to be very careful. A few years ago a young helper came from USA but was stopped at Border control in Edinburgh and sent home. It was such an unhappy time.

She made the mistake of mentioning the word work and she had no work visa.
Infact she could easily have come as a tourist as she had her return ticket and plenty of money however I think the home office were clamping down on illegal immigrants at that time and they decided to make an example of her.
I tried to plead for her but my MP could do nothing nor the American Consulate.

I expect Biscuitmuncher’s daughter is a child minder/cleaner/‘mother’s help’. But ‘au pair’ sounds smarter.

Biscuitmuncher

My daughter is an English au pair working in England they're not all foreign

That is not allowed as per Au Pair rules- must be short term (I believe 2 years max), with age limit and be foreign, living as part of family in a different language to one's own.

Reading back my earlier comment, I was wrong to say "in return". I amend that to "alongside this" to show there are no conditions and no formal agreement.

No one is advocating breaking the law. I fully understand that payment in kind counts as work, but a helpful hand unloading the groceries from the car or walking the dog is what any visiting ""friend", not paying, would offer to do. I wouldn't give a list of jobs, just a "do you fancy walking the dog" suggestion whenever. And it certainly wouldn't be taking the job away from a UK citizen because the paid job wouldn't exist anyway. I'd be very careful not to do anything underhand, and I agree that is good advice for the OP.

I think we know that, but am not sure how it’s relevant to the current thread?

My daughter is an English au pair working in England they're not all foreign

The issue is pay. Spending time with a family in return for food and board is permitted.

Any kind of payment whether cash or in kind that could be deemed extra to daily keep becomes work and needs a visa.

The OP suggested that “pocket money” would be hoped for. This would count as pay and require a visa.

I have no doubt a number of people are willing to bend the rules. I’m concerned that the OP could unwittingly find herself in deep trouble by arranging a “bent” set up.

just a private arrangement for a 'friend of the family' - for 1 month! Absolutely no issue. This is not 'work' just an exchange- a bit of help in exchange for language immersion and discovering the country. As said, done it many times ourselves.

escaped

Claremont

For one month, it could very easily be an informal private arrangement. Have done this ourselves many times.

👍 exactly, and not breaking any law.

No, no.

Any paid position requires a work visa.

Actually quite horrified at posts advocating breaking the law as long as it’s done privately 😱

escaped

A Swiss national can visit the UK for less than 6 months without needing a visa to work.

But not to have any kind of paid employment. Just to be a visitor.

And not work “privately’ either!

Might she like to volunteer though?

My friend used to regularly have young volunteers on her tiny smallholding:

wwoof.net/

Claremont

For one month, it could very easily be an informal private arrangement. Have done this ourselves many times.

👍 exactly, and not breaking any law.

Yes, my understanding is that someone can employ them in the short term. Beyond 6 months they would need a visa.

For one month, it could very easily be an informal private arrangement. Have done this ourselves many times.

If you want to help your friend, CountessFosco, the easiest way would be for you to invite the girl to stay with you, since you were planning to have her in the afternoons anyway. I have a German friend, and when our children were young, we had various German young people to stay, that my friend referred to us. They weren't Au Pairs, but helped a bit around the house and with children, in exchange for board. Last Easter, we had the daughter of one of our German guests long ago as we were asked but couldn't find anyone who would be willing to have her.

Apart from all the work/visa rules, people nowadays seem to be reluctant to have someone they don't know, stay with them - maybe lives too busy, house too small?