Au Pair in China - Our Program
Which benefits does an au-pair get?
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Our Services
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Your responsibilities
- Keep company with the child and help with his/her homework
- Talk to the child in English
- Support the family in housework matters (no more than 10% of your time)
In average you have to work 25 hours a week with two days off per week.
Specific information about our services can be found below in this menu.
A program overview can be downloaded here.
As this program is offered throughout Europe, we recommend that you apply up to four months in advance of your desired starting date.
Program Outline
Our Services
With the exception of the flight allowance, which depends upon your length of stay as an au pair, the benefits are the same.
Flight allowance depending upon the length of your stay:
- 12 months: free round-trip flight
- 6-11 months: free return flight
- 3-5 months: 300 € flight allowance
However, it should be noted that Mandarin School will not pay for special services or self-inflicted transfer costs.
As this program is offered throughout Europe, we recommend that you apply up to four months in advance of your desired starting date.
Services in your home country:
These services are necessary to enable your stay in China. We assist you in coping with the required paperwork and the selection of an appropriate host family. More detailed information can be found under the main menu item "Application Process".
- Free round-trip flight or flight allowance and assistance with flight bookings:
Depending on the duration of your au pair stay, you will receive a flight allowance : for 12 months or longer all flight costs are covered by us, for 6-11 months of stay your return flight will be free, for 3-5 months of stay, you will receive up to 300 € flight allowance. However, it should be noted that Mandarin School will not pay for special services or self-inflicted transfer costs. More information can be found under the main menu item "Application Process" within the subsection "Other Preparations".
- Organization of free Mandarin classes:
You will be enrolled at a prestigious Chinese university near to your host family. For you the classes will be totally free; your host family will pay about 1,250 € tuition fee per semester on your behalf. More information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the subsection "Language Classes".
- Free insurance:
Life, health and accidental insurance will be provided to you for free. An overview of the insurance benefits can downloaded under the main menu item "Downloads". We recommend that you do not cancel your current health insurance, due to complications that may occur when you return to your home country. Additionally, health insurance can usually be extended to foreign countries (for usually less than 20 € per year). More detailed information can be found under the main menu item "Application Process" within the subsection "Other Preparations".
- Provision of the required documents for your visa application:
Since there is not a specific au pair visa in China, you will enter China on a student visa. This is normal since the Chinese government does not deem it necessary to have a special au pair visa. You will be given exact instruction on how to apply for the X2 visa and the required documents. The link to the Chinese Visa Center and to professional visa services can be found under the main menu item "Related Links". For more information on the exact procedure, please, have a look under the main menu item "Application Process" within the subsection subsection "Visa".
- Assistance in choosing a suitable host family:
All our host families are from the affluent middle or upper class in China and can offer you a pleasant and exciting stay. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that you and your host family should like each other. After a successful application, we will introduce you to potential host families and organize Skype calls. Do not worry, usually at least one of the family members speaks English and if not we will provide a translator. In the case that a family does not appeal to you, you can refuse it at any time. More information can be found under the main menu item "Application Process" and under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the submenu "Family Life" and "Service in China".
- Informing you about the details of the Au Pair in China Program:
We want to explain to you the benefits that the Mandarin School Au-pair Program has to offer and which steps have to be taken as clear as possible. If you have any further questions or need more information, please have a look under the main menu item "Links & Downloads". If you still cannot find the information you are looking for, you can contact us directly. Once your application has been accepted, we will introduce to you your personal advisor from one of our certified partner agencies. He or she will help you throughout the whole program.
All advisors from our partner agencies have sound English language skills and many of them have been au pairs themselves. Our partner agencies are IAPA members. A program overview can be downloaded under the menu item "Downloads".
Services during your stay in China:
The services available to you during your stay are mainly handled by your host family and our partner agencies in China. However, if problems still exist, you are welcome to contact us directly at any time. We want to make sure that you get the great opportunity to experience the Chinese culture first hand and to learn Mandarin in an authentic environment. To prevent any problems, we expect from you to get in contact with your personal advisor at least once a month. More information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China".
- Private room with internet and meals provided by the host family:
Of course, food and housing will be provided by the host family. You will get a private room that has internet access, so that you can keep in touch with your family and friends.
- 125 € pocket money:
In addition, your family will provide you with a monthly allowance of 1,000 RMB.
- 2 weeks of paid vacation in addition to public holidays and 2 days off a week:
You will have two days off a week and two weeks’ vacation in addition to public holidays. On average, you'll be working 25 hours a week.
- Airport pick up:
The first moments in a foreign country are always the most insecure. You will be picked up at the airport by your personal advisor. More information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the submenu “Arrival in China."
- Introductory au pair training course (usually 4-7 days):
To prepare you for dealing with Chinese children, you will participate in a mandatory training course at our Beijing Training Center. The length of the course depends entirely on your abilities and needs. For more information, please have a look under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the subsection "Arrival in China".
- Assistance with settling in and dealing with the new environment:
To help you to adjust to life in China, you will be accompanied by your personal advisor for the first two days. He or she will also help you during your first days at your host family. For more information, please have a look under the main menu item "Finally in China” within the subsection “Arrival in China".
- Assistance with the registering for temporary residence at the registration office and assistance with the direct registering at the university:
After your arrival in China, as in any other country, there are some formalities to deal with: one is the registration for temporary residence at the registration office and secondly, the direct registration at the university. In both cases, your host family and personal advisor will assist you. More detailed information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the subsection "Arrival in China".
- Helping you to plan your leisure time as well as your travels in China:
We will also help you with your travel plans. Although you can find lots of suggestions in guidebooks, these may not be the destinations you are looking for. Additionally travels of some distance require require a ticket reservation, and it is always better if your personal advisor assists you, so nothing can go wrong. We also organize au pair meetings so that you have the opportunity to talk with people who share similar experiences. More information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China" in the submenus "Au Pair Meetings" and "Service in China".
- Organize a change of the host family if it does not work out between you:
Despite good prospects, sometimes things will not work out between an au pair and the host family. It is important that you notify your personal advisor immediately, so that he or she can help to resolve the problem, or if necessary take steps to find a new host family. More detailed information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China " within the subsection "Service in China".
- 24/7 emergency service:
Our personal advisors are always there for you. All personal advisors of our partner agencies have a very sound knowledge of the English language and are supervised by team leaders who were once au pairs themselves. All of our partner agencies are IAPA members. A program overview can be downloaded under the menu item "Downloads".
Services at the end of your stay:
Towards the end of your au pair stay, you have to decide what your future plans will be. Again, we and our partner agencies are here for you.
- Assistance in booking the return flight:
Just like with the flight to China, we will also be there to help you booking your return flight. More detailed information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China" in the subsection "Service in China".
- Further plans in China:
If you decide to stay longer in China, we and our partner agencies will help you to fulfill your plans. Whether if you want to do an internship, enroll at a Chinese University or simply if you have further travel plans within China, we will assist you. For more information, please have a look under the main menu item "Finally in China" within the submenu "Service in China".
What do you have to pay?
As we hand through the services received directly to our au pairs, you only have to pay the following program related costs yourself. The total amount will be usually less than 300 € (standard time of stay: 1 year, otherwise there might be additional flight costs – please, have a look above):
- Costs for the passport
- Costs of the X2 visa and the required documents
- Costs of health certificate and vaccinations
- Costs of police clearance certificate
For more information, please have a look under the main menu item "Application Process".
Your responsibilities as an au pair in China:
In principle, anyone who meets the following criteria can participate in the Mandarin School Au Pair in China Program. As this program is offered throughout Europe, we recommend that you apply up to four months in advance of your desired starting date.
Overview of your tasks:
- You keep the child’s company and help him/her with his/her homework.
- You talk to the child in English.
- You support your host family in doing the housework (max. 10%).
- Your average weekly working time is 25 hours a week and you’ll have two days off a week.
Your main task as an au pair is to spend time with the child and to help him or her to learn international manners as well as English. In China, the host families consider the Au Pair primarily as a personal teacher for their child, and thus according to Confucian tradition as an important part of the inner personal circle. Therefore, it is not required to perform unnecessary chores, because you will be accommodated in a wealthy family and Chinese personnel would be much cheaper. In China, education means a good future. Of course you should perform tasks which are generally considered polite, for example helping to clear the table after dinner. A good rule of thumb is to say that your work is at least 90 % pure tutoring. More information can be found under the main menu item "Finally in China " within the submenu "Family Life".
Of course, the details of your stay can be discussed individually with the host family.
The Mandarin School Au Pair in China Program focuses on quality and satisfaction of our au pairs, partners and host families. We work closely together with our partner agencies. Our host families are only from the wealthy Chinese middle and upper classes and can therefore offer their au pairs a wonderful stay. The language classes are held at prestigious universities.
All this enables us to offer our program in the best quality to many customers. The majority of the benefits are financed directly by the host family. However, the au pair has to pay for the costs of the necessary formalities regarding the travel preparations (usually less than 300 €). Due to the fact that we know both sides - Germany and China - we can say with a clear conscience that we do not know of a better program and openly encourage you to compare us with our competition.
To apply click here.