Embassy of the United States Helsinki, Finland

There are two non-immigrant categories for persons wishing to enter the United States and work as an au pair/nanny/domestic. The J1, or "exchange visitor," visa is for a person who is going to au pair for an American family or a family with Legal Permanent Residence (LPR or "green card" holder) while the B1 visa is for a person who is going to au pair for a non-American family who will be in the United States temporarily on a non-immigrant visa.

The Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs maintains a very useful website for J1 au pairs.

To apply for a J1 visa, also known as an "exchange visitor" visa, prospective au pairs need to do the following:

• Work with a designated program sponsor
• Obtain a DS-2019 from a program sponsor (the original of this form must be presented at the time of interview at the Consulate)
• Pay the SEVIS processing fee of $35 (please visit the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) web page for instructions on paying this fee.) You will not be able to pay this fee until you have received the DS-2019
• Present the documentation required for all visa applicants  

To apply for a B1 visa as an au pair, applicants must provide the following:

• The documentation required for all visa applicants
• Evidence from employer of previous child care experience
• Evidence from employee of previous child care experience
• A work contract signed by both parties, which at a minimum includes the following elements:
  • Employer’s guarantee of the prevailing wage* for the employee
  • Employer’s guarantee of free room and board for the employee
  • Employer’s guarantee of initial and return/onward assignment travel expenses for the employee, even if the employee is terminated for any cause
  • A statement that employer will be the only provider of employment to the employee while in the United States

* To determine the appropriate prevailing wage for an au pair, follow these instructions:

• Go to the US Department of Labor’s web page
• Enter the state in which the au pair will be employed and then press the Continue button
• Select the county the au pair will be employed in (if you do not know the county, try using a search engine to find out) then select "39-9011 Child care workers" from the Occupation list and press Search
• The Level 1 Wage is the prevailing wage for that area

Click Here to Schedule Your Interiew
Please ignore the references to DS-156 and only use the link "Schedule appointment." This site will be updated to reflect the DS 160 later on.