Best Bear news release
November 11 2008
New Immigration Rules
From 27 November 2008 the rules regarding au-pairs are changing.
The visa system for all the currently permitted non EU countries eg Turkey, is being withdrawn and the government's points based Tier System will apply.
Unless the non EU countries sign an agreement with the UK which covers aspects such as repatriation, they will be excluded. To date, none of the currently participating non EU countries have signed. They have one chance per annum to do so and so cannot now be included, at the earliest, until Jan 1st 2010.
See http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk for more details.
Further, the government has altered the requirements for foreign students, many of whom have used their free time to live with host families and assist part time – up to 20 hours per week during term time. Students must prove that they have £ 9600 for living expenses for their first year in the UK plus the cost of their tuition fees. For students with modest means, they are unlikely to meet the new requirements and so will not study in Britain.
The colleges and centres of education will also be accountable for their registered students.
While these measures will stop bogus applicants from being given student visas it will also remove genuine but less affluent applicants from coming to the UK.
Families are feeling the effects of the credit crunch, with some having had to cease employing their nannies.
Au-pairs cannot be left in sole charge of babies and young children. They rarely have experience with pre- nursery school aged toddlers and are usually not qualified in first aid or childcare. Further, at the start of their stay, many do not speak English at a level that will allow them to call and explain a problem to the emergency services in coherent language.
The newer EU citizens e.g. from Poland often seek higher salaries than the average au-pair pocket money. So saying, many agencies in the eastern EU are recruiting workers for other fields of employment and have dropped the au-pair programme because of a lack of candidates.
Families who confuse the roles of an au-pair, mother's help and nanny are creating problems for themselves and the safety of their children.
An au-pair is limited to helping for five hours per day, five days per week.
A mother's help, while often helping for the full working day, does not need to speak English fluently and is not professionally trained or qualified. She / he should work under the guidance and initial supervision of the employer and will assist with light housework and childcare, which is often pre and post school.
A nanny should have a qualification in childcare and her / his primary role is with the children. Any household duties are limited to those pertaining to the children.
Romanians and Bulgarians may be au-pairs but must apply for a BR3 visa prior to receiving any pocket money. Should they choose to be mother's helps the must attend a relevant college course and apply for an appropriate visa.
In all, there is likely to be a shortfall of au-pairs. The days of au-pairs who speak English well, drive, will work excess hours for minimal reward and are akin to Mary Poppins, have ended. Au-pairs come to the UK to live with a predominantly English speaking family, learn the language and about the culture of the country. They are not, nor should never have been given a role in which they are cheap domestics, surrogate housekeepers or childminders.
We do not know what the future will bring. Hopefully the days of latch key children will not return. However, the future of the au-pair industry is not as it was. Families need affordable childcare and the government seems oblivious to this.
Elaine Newman – THE AU-PAIR AGENCY ( est. 1986 )
www.aupairagency.com
This article is from the author's perspective. Other agencies may not agree with the sentiments expressed herein. |