Types of placement

Every Au pair placement is unique and that's what makes the programme so special. You create your own story, from an outback placement in the red centre to a beachside home in bustling Sydney.

We have host family placements starting nearly every week of the year, so you can apply all year round and choose when you want to depart. 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 and each are distinct in what they offer. Each types of placements have unique opportunities with amazing families whether its flying across Australia with a family of flying doctors, being in the center of the hustle and buzz of a city or living in a rural town near a beach or in a beautiful mountain range. You’ll be able to come home and tell everyone about your amazing experience as an Au pair.

Host families in city placements could be right in the city centre or in the surrounding suburbs! This is our most popular choice for AIFS Au Pair in Australia. City placements include all major cities and the surroundings suburbs for example Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The suburbs often make up the largest part of a city and can sometimes be within an hour radius of the city centre. However as with most cities they have great transportation systems so it's really easy to get around. Being an AIFS Au pair in Australia within a city means there is so much to do and see so you’ll never have a dull moment! You’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of amazing restaurants, cafés, shops, bars, nightlife, museums and regular events that happen in the cities. Cities are also popular for many people travelling around Australia, so you’ll meet people from all over the world even down at a local café, sitting in the park or at the beach! Host families living in city placements are often busy and fast paced keeping up with the city life so if this sounds like you, a city could be your perfect placement!

In rural placements 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 laid back 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 hopping through the fields! Honesty seeing a kangaroo hopping around never gets old and is something you won't 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 to. You could be staying in a cute little town along the coast, in a 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 have everything a major city does including an airport! AIFS host families that live in a rural area can offer a really unique experience. You won't just become part of the family but also part of the community. Australians 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 you are considering doing your regional work as well to get your second year visa then rural placements are 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 is rated as the real Australian experience which you won’t get anywhere else Australia or the world for that matter. They are similar to rural placements in that you’ll see kangaroos and other cool Australian wildlife right on your door step but on a daily basis! Also, outback placement are 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. You’ll see wildlife there such as red kangaroos which you don’t see in other places around Australia, 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 as there is no urban living just beautiful countryside it 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 you are 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 can't 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 program 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 accommodate your preferences. We will try our best, however, we can’t make any promises.

Applying with friends
It's 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 a 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 1.5 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!