Tag: au pair

Up the Creek Without a Paddle

On By EmilyinEarnestIn au pair, Ireland, Travel3 Comments

So…

This past Saturday I graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science. After four years of desperate studying, hours in the library and countless stress-dreams about sleeping through exams, I finally received a diploma (well, I actually received an empty diploma holder, but they’re supposed to send me the real thing in the mail).

The night after my graduation, in the midst of my last night of celebrations with my friends all together in our dorm, I received an email.

My au pair family had cancelled on me less than two weeks before my flight to Dublin was meant to arrive.

I was devastated. God bless my friends for not panicking while I sobbed uncontrollably into their shoulders (good thing I had already drank half a bottle of wine when I received the news, or maybe not so good of a thing).

The family had a crisis, with one member being hospitalized, and they could no longer definitively offer me employment or a place to stay. Shocking and devastating as this was, my moderately buzzed self went straight from tears to action. I re-made my au pair account on aupairworld.com and instantly sent out messages to some families that interested me.

Today I skyped with a family in Cork, Ireland and hopefully that will turn out positively, but until I have more solid plans, I’ve cancelled my flight for the 19th of May.

This has been a setback but I will get to Ireland, even if it’s not in the way I initially thought.

Finding an Au Pair Position

On By EmilyinEarnestIn au pair, Ireland, Travel, VisasLeave a comment

Hello all! So I’ve been getting all of my materials together to send in my visa application (hopefully it’ll be ready to send out this week), but in the meantime I thought I’d talk a bit about how I got my Au Pair position.

I used a website called aupairworld.com, which I would recommend to anyone who serious about pursuing this option or who just wants to see what’s out there. I first came across the website after googling “au pair,” with no prior knowledge on the subject or how I would go about finding a position.

Firstly, I would say to make a profile, even if you don’t want to fill out the various “about me” sections or any of your information yet, a basic profile will allow you to narrow down your search and see real and available families. They have you enter your age, gender and a few countries you would want to work in, and with this information you can see the many different options.

When you become serious, make sure you take the time to personalize your profile! Don’t just write one word answers to the questions. Talk about your interests and your passions and make sure you actually have a reason for why you want to be an au pair. Also, be honest, don’t say you’re a champion horseback rider if you’re not! It’ll be much easier to find a family that matches up with your passions and plans if you are straightforward.

Another big thing is put up a picture! It’s hard to trust some anonymous person on the internet to be who they say they are. If you want to attract real families and be an appealing hire, make sure you use a picture of yourself. Bonus points if you’re doing something you mentioned you’re interested in in your bio. Plus, it’ll assure them that you are, in fact, a normal human being.

Once you’ve made your profile suitable, reach out to people! Don’t be afraid to contact the families, even if you just send the pre-written “I’m interested” message they provide for you. The more people you talk to, the more opportunities you’ll have at your doorstep. I sent out multiple messages, just to feel things out. If you receive messages yourself, make sure to answer. The website shows the percentage of applications you respond to and a low percentage may make you look unavailable.

Finally, be conscious of where you’re looking to go/which positions you’re accepting. Look up visas and things of that nature (here’s my guide to Visas for Americans, and specific info on Ireland Working Holiday Visas). Many times I found that au pair positions that were open in Italy or Spain are mostly for the summer (3 months or less), which you wouldn’t need a visa for. However, if you’re looking to go for longer, you’ll need a visa for that specific country.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment! Happy searching, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

 

Working Holiday Visa – Ireland

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Ireland, Travel, Visas3 Comments

IMG_1078My last post was about ways to live internationally in general. This one however, will have a focus on the visa that I will (hopefully) be getting and using in order to be an au pair in Ireland.

The Working Holiday Visa is an option that seems tailor made for college students or recent graduates. Essentially, due to the US and Ireland having good international relations, it is possible to travel there and work for up to 12 months if you are currently enrolled in college or have graduated in the last 12 months. You don’t need to have a job beforehand or a sponsor.

First of all, you need to figure out which of Ireland’s consulates in the United States is yours. There are six of them throughout the US including in Washington DC, New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco. Each of these has certain surrounding states that they also service, so make sure you’re sending your application to the right one. I personally will be sending my info to New York.

There is an application form that everyone who intends to do the working holiday must fill out. It’s not extremely complicated, just basic info. Besides that the rest of the requirements are as follows…

  • Valid US passport (make sure it will be valid throughout the entirety of your planned stay.)
  • 2 identical passport photos with your name written on the back (these can be taken at any CVS)
  • A resumé with references (not sure how many references would be standard, but I’m going to include at least two)
  • A bank statement saying you have $2,000 and proof of a return ticket OR just $4000***
  • Originals of school qualifications or a letter from your university (I’m probably just going to put a copy of my official transcript)
  • $337 visa fee along with $13 fee if you would like the consulate to mail your documents back to you (which is far more convenient)

*** So, here’s my side note. It says that you must prove that you have either $2000 and a return airline ticket or $4000. However, it is much better to just produce your return ticket when you’re applying because later on it says they cannot officially issue your visa until you prove you have the airline ticket.

Additionally, I have contacted the consulate in order to ask whether the “return ticket” must be from Ireland back to the US, or if it would be possible to simply buy a plane ticket out of the country (to some other European nation). I was planning on doing some traveling once my 6 month position had ended and it would be far more complicated if I were required to book my flight back to the US directly from Ireland and this far in advance.

More to come on the application process and the answer to this question! In the meantime, here’s the link to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, where all the info I just stated is laid out.

 

 

Visas for Americans

On By EmilyinEarnestIn Travel, Visas3 Comments

As a sophomore in college, I studied abroad in London, UK and absolutely loved it. I was completely enamored by the bustle of the city, the history and the lifestyle that was lead by europeans in general. It was in that four month time period of museum visits and weekend trips to foreign lands that I decided once and for all that I would move to the UK as soon as I graduated.

Pop.

Did you hear that? That was my bubble of hope popping. As it turns out, being an American, while extremely entertaining when chanting U.S.A at frat parties, is troublesome when you want to go anywhere else. Since the United States is not a member of the European Union, we do not have the inherent right to work or study abroad without going through a heinous amount of paperwork.

Even then, in most cases you would need to be hired by a company which would sponsor your visa before you would be allowed in. So, what are we Americans to do? Find the best options.

1. Working Holiday Visas

A working holiday visa is essentially a pass for you to get a job in a country for (usually) up to a year. The countries that U.S. citizens can acquire Working Holiday Visas for are…

  • Australia
  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • North Korea

This is a very limited list, however some of these can be great options if you’re interested in the particular cultures of said countries. Each different nation has its own requirements (from monetary restrictions to age and education) along with a different length of stay. If you’re curious I recommend checking out GoOverseas which has an awesome article about each of the options.

2. Student Visas

While it is difficult to obtain a visa just to work, student visas are slightly easier to obtain. If you want to enhance your education while abroad, this is the option for you. In order to obtain a tier 4 student visa for the UK, you must be enrolled or have been offered a position at an institute of learning that is licensed. You also must have enough money to support yourself while you’re over there.

These visas can be for extended periods of time depending on how long you’re taking classes. The longer the classes or the more classes you take sequentially, the higher the probability it’ll be possible to extend your visa.

The kicker, many times you can legally work when you have this visa! The amount or hours of work you can do is dependent upon the type of classes you’re taking and the school you have sponsoring you. This is a great option for many people who want to live abroad in a country that doesn’t provide working holiday visas.

3. Shortened Stay

If, by chance, you want to live in a country for less than 3 months doing au pair work or another option that pays cash, you could opt not to get a visa at all. Many countries allow U.S. citizens to enter without a visa on the condition that they are tourists leaving within the allotted time limit.

Students with summers free would find this option especially appealing, as it eliminates the complicated visa process. Au Pair jobs are especially abundant in the summer in places like Spain and Italy. For more info on this I would suggest Au Pair World, which has a ton of resources for anyone considering this option.

 

Looking into international living can be stressful and disheartening, especially when you’re from our corner of the world. It’s all about sifting through the plethora of information and finding the plan that works best for you!