What Is an Au Pair? How the US Program Really Works

What is an au pair in the USA? A job, a gap year, or something else? Here's how the program really works, who it's for, and the part no brochure explains. I did the au pair year in 2016, and I'm sharing what I wish I'd known. 👉 FREE: Is the Au Pair Year Right for You? 10 honest questions → https://au-pair-right-for-you.zite.so/ ⏱️ Chapters 0:00 What is an au pair? 0:19 Who I am and why I made this channel 0:51 The program in five facts 1:19 1. What it actually is 1:58 2. Hours and time off 2:27 3. Who can do it 3:47 4. How you get in 4:13 5. What you get 7:09 The lunchbox story 10:58 Is it for you? Three questions 11:26 Question 1 11:47 Question 2 13:10 Question 3 14:29 Free worksheet and what's next 📌 Sources, checked on 21 October 2026 (check the current figures before you decide): • Age, English and education: 22 CFR 62.31(d). Hours, days off, weekend off, paid vacation, and the 45-hour basis of the stipend: 22 CFR 62.31(j). College classes and the $500 family contribution: 22 CFR 62.31(k) → https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-22... • State Department au pair page (term, extensions, sponsors) → https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/au-... • Weekly stipend: the regulation sets the basis (45 hours under minimum-wage rules) but no dollar figure. $195.75 is Cultural Care's figure at the federal minimum wage → https://www.aupaircare.com/au-pairs/a... • Higher in states with a higher minimum wage, for example Massachusetts → https://aupairsync.com/guides/au-pair... What I say about 2016 is my memory, and I could be wrong. I went through Cultural Care. This video is not sponsored, and I don't use a referral link here. I'm documenting the whole au pair journey on this channel: applying, matching, the money, and the first 90 days abroad. The honest version, not the brochure version. Subscribe if you're applying now or still thinking about it:    / @aupairhonestly   🛍️ Au Pair Off Duty merch (optional, for fans): https://aupairhonestly-shop.fourthwal... #aupair #aupairusa #whatisanaupair