We have host family placements seeking Au pairs to start throughout the year, so you can choose when you want to depart. You can apply as little as 8 weeks in advance or a whole year- its totally up to you! As part of Au Pair in Australia, you can choose what type of placement you want and where you want to go. We have some fantastic host families living all over Australia, so you could go to places that most never venture to you'll be living like a local and have your own unique amazing adventure!

We categorize our placements into city, rural and outback as they are distinct. Each placement and each family is unique. Whether its experiencing outback Australia with a family of flying doctors, being in the centre of the hustle and buzz of Sydney, or living in one of Australia's beautiful regional locations where you have the best of both worlds.

Host families in cities such as Sydney or Melbourne are usually located in the surrounding suburbs. These types of placements are popular with Au Pairs. Most suburban placements are within an hour of the city centre and are easily accessible. Being an Au Pair in Australia in a city/suburban placement means there is always something to do. You’ll have easy access to cafés, shops, and the city's nightlife as well as access to gyms and in many cases, beaches. Host families living in city placements are often busy and life is fast paced.

In a rural placement you'll get a real feel for what it's like to be Australian. You’ll get a real taste for Australian culture and the laidback lifestyle they are so famous for! One of the best things about a rural placement is that you will be living in a beautiful natural environment and you’ll probably see kangaroos on a daily basis just hoping through the fields! Honesty seeing a kangaroo hoping around never gets old and is something you wont see in a city placement (unless you go to the zoo of course). Rural placements are quite diverse and there is a wide range of places that you could go. You could be staying in a cute little town along the coast, in town up in the beautiful mountains, a mining town or even a small city. There are small cities all over Australia that aren’t classed as major cities because of where they are but everything major city does including an airport! AIFS host families that live in a rural area can offer a really unique experience. You wont just become part of the family but also part of the community. Rural areas are really passionate about their communities, so you’ll be out at events and meeting loads of aussies all within your first few weeks of arriving! If your considering doing your regional work as well to get your second year visa then rural placements fantastic as its common that your host family will know someone who knows someone that has a farm where you can work and start collecting your days!

Outback placements can be life changing and are an Australian experience which you won’t get anywhere else in the world. They are similar to rural placements in that you’ll see kangaroo’s and other cool Australian wildlife right on your door step! Outback placements are also the types of places where everyone knows everyone so you’ll make friends super quick.

The outback is such a unique Australia experience for many reasons. There are farms the same size as cities and even countries (there’s a farm the same size as Belgium! - mad right?) with thousands of animals! Not just that but without city lights, the outback has some of the best stargazing spots in Australia! In the outback there are so many stars that they literally light up the night sky!

Much of Australia’s cultural identity is drawn from the outback, with wide open spaces and aboriginal communities and is truly an authentic travelling experience. Outback placements are remote, giving you a break from urban lifestyle and a place to relax even when your working as an Au Pair. AIFS host families typically live on a farm or in a small village which can be an hour away by car or sometimes even by plane! So if you’re looking for an authentic Australian experience, one that you cant get anywhere else in the world then this placement is for you.

Do I get a preference?

We have some pretty awesome Australian families on our Au Pair programme in some really amazing locations. As part of the interview process you get to tell us what you are looking for in a host family and that includes discussing these types of placements, places and personal qualities of a host family. We recommend that you are open minded and focus on finding the right family for you rather than focusing on location as we don’t want you to miss out on some of the epic host families we work with. However, we know that sometimes you might have a specific preference for placement such as by the beach or that you want to live in a particular city as you might have friends or family there. If you have this request, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible so we have plenty of time to accommodation your preferences. We will try our best however we can’t make any promises.

Applying with friends
Its always great to travel with friends to new and exciting places. It might surprise you that you can apply for Au Pair in Australia with your friend! If you would like to do this and get placed with an host family in a similar area, we recommend that you apply a minimum of 6 months in advance so we can do our best to find you both your perfect family in the same location in Australia. If your placements start at similar times, you can fly to Australia together, have your orientation together, meet up on your days off and also travel together after your placement! Sounds awesome right?

Meeting people and time off
During your Au Pair in Australia placement you’ll have a minimum of two days off a week where you can get out an explore your local area. We have a number of ways to help you get out there and meet new people. This includes exclusive facebook groups just for AIFS Au Pairs. We also have AIFS Au Pair Social Coordinators that organise regular meet ups in your local areas at local parks, beaches, restaurants which help you explore where you are and meet others in your area! We guarantee that you will have an amazing experience no matter where you live with your host family in Australia!