September 1, 2019
So, I found a family I really liked. The mom and I messaged quite a bit and we video called several times. The kids were adorable and the parents were very nice. We decided at the beginning of April that we would go forward with me being their au pair. Easy enough to talk about, but now came the more tedious part: getting me approved.
It was actually a pretty simple process. There were several forms I had to fill out, but the parents had me send them the forms and they were able to turn them in for me, instead of me mailing my paperwork to the government, and then waiting for them to get the paperwork and mail me back the approval. It took a much shorter time than I thought it would.
First, I had to apply to be an au pair. I waited until after I graduated to start on the paperwork because I was overwhelmed with finals, moving out of the residence halls, and moving back in with my parents. The trickiest part was that I cannot speak or read French. Luxembourg's government websites are all in French. I had to figure out a way for the websites to get translated (turns out, if you use Google Chrome to open any website in a language other than English, they will automatically translate it). I still didn't really know what I was looking at, but the mother was a enourmous help! She sent me the form that I needed to fill out: the application for the authorisation as a young "au pair". With that application, I needed to send in proof that I took classes until I was 17 or had access to higher education (I sent in my transcript), a medical certificate that said I was able to perform light housework and childcare, a copy of my valid passport, a placement agreement with the family (our contract), and a declaration of honor saying that the family and aren't related up to the fourth degree. The family sent me all their paperwork filled out, and I just eneded to come up with the other paperwork and sign the papers they had already sent me. We got it submitted about a week late (there is no deadline for the application, but the medical certificate had to be completed a minimum of three months before I arrived in the country). A couple weeks later, they sent my host family a letter saying I had been approved!
Second, I had to get my residence permit. The way I understood it was that it was like a visa. For the residence permit, I had to apply to the Luxembourg Director of Immigration. For this application, I had another list of documents I had to gather: a copy of my entire passport, my birth certificate, a recent criminal record, the written approval from the Ministry of Youth (the approval letter from my au pair application), a letter stating my intentions and a list of documetns included in the application, and a power of attorney letter for the host family to turn these documents in.
Almost a month later, the host family received a letter saying I had been approved! This meant that I could legally enter the country with the intention of living there for a year. The government sent me a letter confirming my information (name, birthdate and place, current address), and instructions on what to do when I enter the country. On the day that I get there, I will make a declartoin of arrivl at the city hall. Then, wihin three days, I will go the SNJ, or the Ministry of Youth, to validate our contract and get a medical exam and certificate of health. After that, I will ask for a definite permit, they will take my biometrics, and then I will be free to stay in the country for a year! I will ahve to go in to the Ministry a couple times throughout the year to keep up on my residence permit, but other than that, I am able to live and work as an au pair in Luxembourg!
I thought I would mention what I would actually be doing as an au pair, since I've talked a lot about how I got the job, but not about my specific duties. I will watch the kids in the afternoons after school and take them to their activities. I will take a language class while I am there, and I plan on taking French classes. I will have the weekends off to travel, and can accompany the family on their holidays if invited. After my high-stress job in residence life, and my internship my last semester in a group home, I can't wait for my time in Luxembourg. I can't wait to hang out with the two kiddos every day and explore places I've never been before.
My next post will be the evening before I leave. I depart from Bozeman on September 9th and will talk more about my journy then! Thanks for reading:)
It was actually a pretty simple process. There were several forms I had to fill out, but the parents had me send them the forms and they were able to turn them in for me, instead of me mailing my paperwork to the government, and then waiting for them to get the paperwork and mail me back the approval. It took a much shorter time than I thought it would.
First, I had to apply to be an au pair. I waited until after I graduated to start on the paperwork because I was overwhelmed with finals, moving out of the residence halls, and moving back in with my parents. The trickiest part was that I cannot speak or read French. Luxembourg's government websites are all in French. I had to figure out a way for the websites to get translated (turns out, if you use Google Chrome to open any website in a language other than English, they will automatically translate it). I still didn't really know what I was looking at, but the mother was a enourmous help! She sent me the form that I needed to fill out: the application for the authorisation as a young "au pair". With that application, I needed to send in proof that I took classes until I was 17 or had access to higher education (I sent in my transcript), a medical certificate that said I was able to perform light housework and childcare, a copy of my valid passport, a placement agreement with the family (our contract), and a declaration of honor saying that the family and aren't related up to the fourth degree. The family sent me all their paperwork filled out, and I just eneded to come up with the other paperwork and sign the papers they had already sent me. We got it submitted about a week late (there is no deadline for the application, but the medical certificate had to be completed a minimum of three months before I arrived in the country). A couple weeks later, they sent my host family a letter saying I had been approved!
Second, I had to get my residence permit. The way I understood it was that it was like a visa. For the residence permit, I had to apply to the Luxembourg Director of Immigration. For this application, I had another list of documents I had to gather: a copy of my entire passport, my birth certificate, a recent criminal record, the written approval from the Ministry of Youth (the approval letter from my au pair application), a letter stating my intentions and a list of documetns included in the application, and a power of attorney letter for the host family to turn these documents in.
Almost a month later, the host family received a letter saying I had been approved! This meant that I could legally enter the country with the intention of living there for a year. The government sent me a letter confirming my information (name, birthdate and place, current address), and instructions on what to do when I enter the country. On the day that I get there, I will make a declartoin of arrivl at the city hall. Then, wihin three days, I will go the SNJ, or the Ministry of Youth, to validate our contract and get a medical exam and certificate of health. After that, I will ask for a definite permit, they will take my biometrics, and then I will be free to stay in the country for a year! I will ahve to go in to the Ministry a couple times throughout the year to keep up on my residence permit, but other than that, I am able to live and work as an au pair in Luxembourg!
I thought I would mention what I would actually be doing as an au pair, since I've talked a lot about how I got the job, but not about my specific duties. I will watch the kids in the afternoons after school and take them to their activities. I will take a language class while I am there, and I plan on taking French classes. I will have the weekends off to travel, and can accompany the family on their holidays if invited. After my high-stress job in residence life, and my internship my last semester in a group home, I can't wait for my time in Luxembourg. I can't wait to hang out with the two kiddos every day and explore places I've never been before.
My next post will be the evening before I leave. I depart from Bozeman on September 9th and will talk more about my journy then! Thanks for reading:)
Comments
Post a Comment