We’ve covered this topic several times already, but we still receive lots of messages from UK and EU nannies wondering how they can get a visa to the USA as a nanny?

If you want to know how to get a visa for the USA as a nanny, read this article, but we warn you, you will be disappointed…

There are very few possibilities and they are unlikely to succeed.

The possibilities that exist make it possible to obtain temporary visas only, in no case permanent visas.

If you are lucky enough to meet the requirements for a temporary visa, the process can be very lengthy.

Families who need nannies are looking for nannies who are available quickly and for the long term.

Sponsoring candidates from abroad is therefore not interesting for them, it is quicker to look for candidates who already have a work authorization and above all much less complicated!

Nanny positions in the USA are therefore never sponsored. Only Au Pair jobs come with visa sponsorship.

When families in the US are seeking French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Greek etc… speaking Nannies, they are not seeking candidates from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece etc… who are eligible for an ESTA and seeking visa sponsorship. They are seeking candidates who are already eligible to work in the USA (US passport or Green Card).

There are two types of temporary visas available for nannies :

• The J-1 Exchange Visitor visa (also known as cultural exchange Visa for Au Pairs) which is very expensive but relatively easy to obtain. To qualify for a J-1 visa, you must be under 27 years old and you must be willing to combine education and work. You will not be referred to as a “nanny” but as an “au pair” and you will not get a “nanny” salary but an “au pair” salary (approximately $200-400 per week)…
• The H-2B visa for unskilled workers. The process to obtain this visa is very long (it can last months or even years!) and it is much more more complicated because you must be able to prove that no other US residents could fill the position. Good luck proving that no US citizen can fill the position you are targeting because, like everywhere in the world, there are many nannies – including bilingual nannies – in the USA. Only Norland qualified nannies can possibly obtain this visa.

Another option you can consider is to win a Green Card at the Green Card lottery! The chances of winning are very low, but you never know!

Are you wondering how these few nannies who managed to obtain authorization to work in the USA did it?

Often they worked as au pairs for a long time before they were able to apply for a Green Card. Many years ago, it was sometimes possible to obtain a Green Card this way. But conditions have since become stricter…

Some worked as an au pair and fell in love with an American during their au pair stay, they got married and lived happily ever after.

Some found their American prince charming in their home country or elsewhere in the world, and they also got married and also lived happily ever after.

And some were lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery!

Believe us, you’re wasting your time if you apply for nanny positions in the USA when you don’t have an American passport or a Green Card…

And remember, it is under no circumstances possible to work in the USA with an ESTA, even if the position is temporary or rotating. If you get caught working temporarily in the USA with an ESTA or if you travel with a foreign employer to the USA with an ESTA, you risk deportation!