sleep
renting on a budget

Student Accomodations: Au Pair

Another alternative to finding an apartment is to look for an au pair position. Au pair arrangements are available primarily but not exclusively for female students. This work often consists of baby-sitting, housework, English lessons, mother´s helper chores, collecting children at school, or any combination thereof in exchange for room and board and a small salary. It often entails some evening or weekend work. Students must generally have some knowledge of French and be willing to work a regular schedule.

Though the conditions of such positions can vary, the following agencies will arrange au pair positions. They require that students be at least 18 years old and under 30 years of age, have a valid student visa and be enrolled in classes, and will ensure that students are paid pocket money (not salary) of about 1600 FF a month plus room and board in exchange for up to 30 hours a week of work.

For full-time students with a heavy workload, it is wise to find au pair work for not more that 10-20 hours per week. You should keep in mind that au pairs are often treated as paid help rather than members of the family. The quality of this experience depends wholly on the household that you work in. Some experiences can be wonderful, especially when the host family is not only friendly, open, and instructive, but also has a country house in Normandy or Burgundy or ask you to accompany them on vacation to the Alps or Riviera.

During the school year, a minimum stay of three months is required. The regular program stay is normally one year, but it can be extended to a maximum of 18 months. A student may stay with more than one family during the au pair period, but the total stay cannot exceed 18 months. There are also summer au pair programs of one to three months. In these cases, the requirement that the au pair be taking French courses is waived if the student has completed at least one year of college-level French studies.

Most families provide their au pair with a carte orange, a monthly pass valid for the métro, buses and suburban trains, but they are not always required to do so by the Ministry of Labor regulations. The family must declare the au pair as stagiaire aide familiale to the French Social Security Administration (URSSAF) and make the monthly contribution (cotisation) so the au pair will receive social security benefits in case of illness or accidents.

After arrival in France with a visa, the classic au pair must apply within eight days for a residence permit (see section on Residence Permits and cartes de séjour).

Along with his/her work contract, the classic au pair must present evidence of registration in a French language school (Alliance Française, the Sorbonne, etc.). Evening classes are not acceptable. Having obtained an au pair position, the au pair returns to the Service de la Main d´Oeuvre Etrangre to receive a temporary work permit (autorisation provisoire de travail). The permit is normally valid for six months and is renewable.